Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY Motion Resumed from 11 April on the following motion moved by Mrs G.J. Godfrey — That the following Address-in-Reply to His Excellency’s speech be agreed to — To His Excellency the Honourable Mr Malcolm James McCusker, Governor of the State of Western Australia. May it please your Excellency — We, the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the State of Western Australia in Parliament assembled, beg to express loyalty to our most Gracious Sovereign, and to thank your Excellency for the speech you have been pleased to address to Parliament. MR N.W. MORTON (Forrestfield) [3.16 pm]: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to address the chamber today. I would like to commence by congratulating you, Mr Speaker, on your appointment. I also extend my congratulations to the members of Parliament here today who have been re-elected and especially to those members who have been elected to the Legislative Assembly for the first time. Can I also acknowledge the former member for Forrestfield, Andrew Waddell, for his service to this house and to the electorate of Forrestfield. I wish him, his wife and his daughter all the very best for the future. To the Premier, congratulations on your emphatic electoral victory. This is a clear and concise endorsement by the people of Western Australia of your strong leadership and clear vision for this state. [The Deputy Speaker took the chair.] Mr N.W. MORTON: There are a number of people I would like to thank publicly for their assistance, hard work and belief in me. Madam Deputy Speaker, with your indulgence, I would like to commit them to the public record: the extremely hardworking, the dear friend and now parliamentary colleague, Hon Alyssa Hayden, MLC, Lynnie Butler, Allison McNee, Jarod Lomas, Ben Allen, Hank Loohuys, Peter Stewart, Amanda Robideau, Charlie Donovan and Sam Matyear, as well as many other significant people; and the members of the local branches, the many volunteers and the people of the Hasluck division, all of whom have supported me, not just throughout the last 12 months but for many years. Can I also acknowledge the federal member for Hasluck, Mr Ken Wyatt, MP, for all the days spent doorknocking together over a long, hot summer. I am most grateful. I would also like to acknowledge my team from 2008. As many of you would know, my journey here has been a journey over several years. The team of 2008 was and is just as important as the team of 2013; and, most recently, I also acknowledge the wonderful Margaret Jackson for agreeing so willingly to assist in setting up my office. Again, I am most grateful. These people shared a belief in me and gave so graciously of their time and knowledge to assist me in the pursuit of becoming the member for Forrestfield. I would also like to thank the large number of my parliamentary colleagues who have been so willing to assist me over the last couple of months. I should also mention at this time the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and his staff for their assistance over recent times. I would also like to extend a sincere thankyou to the good people within the electorate of Forrestfield. I wish to thank them for the great honour that they have bestowed on me. I am genuinely humbled. I hope that I can repay with interest the investment that they have made in me. I will be working with dedication and integrity to ensure that I represent their issues and concerns within these walls. There is obviously one group of people I am still to thank, and without them I would not be standing here today—of course, this is my family, and, fortunately, many of them are here today. To my wife, Amanda, I cannot thank you enough for your dedication, support and commitment. I am truly lucky to have someone who not just lends me so much support and love but shares her counsel with me as well. To our boys Dylan and Lochie, thank you for all your understanding and support over a long period. To my parents, Margaret and Collin, and my brothers, Ben, Linc and Josh, thank you for your assistance, support and understanding. Our family has a long tradition of service to the community. My great-grandfather joined the Australian Army at the age of 18. He served his country and was wounded in battle. In fact, he was left for three days until a truce was called, when he was discovered in a bomb crater with severe shrapnel wounds to one leg. He returned to Australia and walked with a cane for the rest of his life. But he was not done with yet. He went on to become a radio pioneer in Western Australia, starting one of the first radio stations, broadcasting music to the people of Perth on 6WP. He broadcast his music into homes across Perth from 1927. My grandfather served in the Australian Army during World War II and my father served very proudly for 20 years in the Royal Australian

[1] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Air Force, with 10 of those years being served in Canberra in the VIP Squadron, serving a number of Prime Ministers from the great Sir Robert Menzies to Malcolm Fraser. He also served other dignitaries such as members of the royal family. I remember stories of trips to the New Guinea highlands with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and visits to Fiji with His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales. My point is that service to the community is something that is strongly embedded in my family and has been demonstrated over several generations. I have been fortunate to serve our community through education over the last decade of my life and now, with great humility, I have the opportunity to serve the people of the Forrestfield electorate and, more broadly, the people of Western Australia. That is a great privilege and not a role that I take lightly. The Forrestfield electorate is an eclectic constituency. It contains three main urban hubs in Kenwick, Wattle Grove–Forrestfield and High Wycombe–Maida Vale. These hubs are interspersed with semirural areas and complemented by two main industrial areas in Maddington–Kenwick and Forrestfield. The electorate has a strong focus on the fly in, fly out workforce, with the third highest concentration of FIFO workers in the state. In addition to this strong focus on the mining and resource sector, a lot of mining, mining logistics and transport- associated companies are based in the electorate. In many ways Forrestfield serves as a staging post for the rest of the state. The electorate is also undergoing rapid urban redevelopment. Areas such as Wattle Grove, Forrestfield and High Wycombe are being developed with great speed as people begin to rediscover the eastern suburbs and, in particular, the foothills of Perth, which make up a large part of the Forrestfield electorate. These suburbs are only 20 minutes from the city, close to the airport and access major arterial roads such as the Roe and Tonkin Highways. They also sit on the doorstep to the Perth hills, and the Swan Valley is just next door. This is an exciting time to be a resident in the electorate of Forrestfield, with projects such as the Gateway WA project and the Perth Airport rail link planned for the area. This will transform the east into a modern, fast-moving place to live. In my time in the thirty-ninth Parliament, I will also be ensuring that all other commitments made to the area are delivered. As a first-term member of Parliament, I will obviously have a strong focus on my electorate but there are other things that I am deeply passionate about. Firstly, I have been a teacher for the past 10 years and I have a sincere interest in the quality of our education system. I am extremely cognisant of the significant role that education plays in ensuring that all our children are best prepared to meet the challenges of their life beyond the compulsory years of education. It is essential that we acknowledge the unique requirements of each and every one of our students, regardless of where they live, their socioeconomic background, their culture and so on. With this in mind, I have been particularly impressed with the introduction of the independent public schools—or IPS—system by the Liberal–National government. The IPS system provides local school communities more control over their own destiny. It removes the one-shoe-fits-all approach to resourcing of schools. Independent public schools now have the capacity to select staff and direct resources into the areas that are most appropriate to meet the unique needs of their school community. Local schools in their local contexts controlling their individual needs is a truly Liberal philosophy to deliver significant reforms in education. The IPS system allows choice, flexibility and freedom—core values for which I stand. It is incumbent upon the government of the day to ensure that all of Western Australia’s young people have access to quality educational opportunities. This is what will set us apart and allow Western Australia to continue to be a leading force as we tap into more of the Asian market. With this said, I am extremely supportive of the extension of the IPS system to every school in Western Australia that has the desire to adopt this innovative system of school governance. Secondly, we need to ensure that our next generation of community and business leaders have the capacity to seize opportunities, think with uniquely Western Australian ingenuity and broaden our economy base. As a state, we need to continue to encourage investment in our mining and resources sector, but we also need to ensure that we are not just counting on this alone. Now is the time to embolden investment into other industries and ensure that our young people are well positioned to take advantage of these new opportunities. For someone whose family is, and has been, involved in small business for the last 30 years, I realise that as a government we need to enable these people; we need to support people who are willing to stand up and take a risk to create wealth, employment and opportunity. By supporting these people we grow our state and all of the community can share in the benefits of this. Finally, while engaging with my local community over the last 12 months, law and order has been centre stage of serious concern to a significant number of our residents. We need to ensure that the vast majority of our community who go about their business without inflicting fear in or harm on others are protected by the state. It is important to remember that the people do not elect magistrates or judges; they elect members of Parliament. As a result of this, we, the members of this chamber, have a responsibility to the people of Western Australia.

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We need to ensure that if an element in our community is causing harm to others, it is dealt with in a decisive manner. This is a great state and the people who live here deserve the best, and this includes community safety. As I begin to conclude my address, I wish to reiterate that it is a great honour and I am deeply humbled to stand in the same chamber that so many great Western Australians have stood in. I am an optimist. I am optimistic about our future; I am optimistic about the future of Western Australia and its people. I am confident that a bright future awaits us. Western Australians, generally, are optimistic people. It is burdened upon us to ensure that we assist in delivering that future, and I would like to once again extend my thanks to the people of the Forrestfield electorate for giving me this opportunity. I have mentioned much about my family here today, and I would like to close with a quote from an ancestor of mine, the great Abraham Lincoln, who said that the best way to predict your future is to create it. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to address the chamber. [Applause.] MS L.L. BAKER (Maylands) [3.31 pm]: Welcome to all new members of the house. Before I start my contribution to the Address-in-Reply, I would like to welcome all new members—particularly the member for Kimberley. Congratulations, member for Kimberley! I look forward to working with all new members over the coming four years. I take this opportunity to speak about four issues of note to my community. These are extremely complex issues that are very much part of the fabric of all our communities. I would like to start by talking about alcohol in our communities. Earlier this afternoon we heard the Minister for Police talk about what sounds like a very good initiative in Northbridge; the Minister for Police would have been tracking the problems I have had for four years in my electorate in trying to tackle antisocial behaviour, particularly in and around some of the new coffee shops and restaurants around the Maylands area. Members in the house would realise that I was able to support my community in a very strong campaign to stop Coles building a First Choice Liquor store on what is an iconic site in Maylands. I am pleased to say that the Liquor Commission rejected the application and said that there would not be a destination liquor store in Maylands. Coles chose to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court, and several weeks ago the Supreme Court announced that it was not going to allow Coles to progress with plans to build that superstore. I raise that because at the moment a review of the Liquor Control Act 1988 is being undertaken, and I want to comment on alcohol in my community. Members will remember that in 2011 the Education and Health Standing Committee published its tenth report of the thirty-eighth Parliament entitled “Alcohol: Reducing the Harm and Curbing the Culture of Excess”. I consider it a great privilege to have been a part of the compilation of that report, and I wholeheartedly agree with its contents, findings and recommendations. It is difficult to talk succinctly about the 60 recommendations of a report that comprises two volumes, but it comes down to three issues around alcohol in our communities. Firstly, availability; secondly, affordability; and, thirdly, advertising. They are the three key factors that contribute to excessive alcohol consumption in our communities. I would like to mention some strategies that I think are pertinent to the review of the liquor act that is underway at the moment. Starting with availability, I refer to the enormous growth in destination liquor stores, particularly by the two major grocery chains or big corporations in Australia—Woolworths and Coles. It really has become a fight to the bottom in terms of how low they can go on discounting price. It is openly advertised and publicised in the newspapers that they will beat any price people find—anywhere: “If you come to us with a price that’s cheaper than you’ve found in a bottle shop somewhere, we will undercut it.” It is very much a race to the bottom with cheap alcohol being made easily available through these massive destination liquor stores. Simply speaking, that has to stop. In our community we have to find a way to stop the discounting of alcohol to below wholesale prices. It benefits no-one in the community that young people can buy massively discounted drinks, such as wine for less than $3 a bottle. I am sure that the alcohol industry would be grateful if these big market chains were not permitted to slash prices below wholesale prices. People have pointed to the difficulty of doing that, but I think that the industry has solutions for how that could be made operational. In my view, it is something that should be moved to immediately. The other issue around availability is teen drinking laws or secondary supply laws. I want to talk about this because I am very aware that submissions have been made on this subject to the review of the liquor act. While I do not know the detail of them, I have been written to by one organisation, the Australian Drug Foundation, which is a Victoria-based organisation. I want to read a bit from the foundation’s communication to me concerning secondary supply laws or teenage drinking laws. These laws —

[3] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

… require adults who provide alcohol to under-18 year olds to get prior permission from their parents, and make them responsible for the adolescent’s safety during the period they are consuming and while they remain under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, we do not have these teen drinking laws in WA, but the review of the liquor act being undertaken at the moment is a great opportunity to rectify this. In the view of the Australian Drug Foundation—I am sure that the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, Fiona Stanley and all health professionals in this state would agree — West Australian young people deserve the same protection as those in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania … Those states already have the secondary supply laws in place. The letter continues — Parents should have a right to decide if and when their children drink alcohol. This legislation would not stop a parent supplying their own child with a responsible quantity of alcohol should they choose to do so. Risky drinking is common among Western Australian adolescents. More than one in five 16-17 year olds drink risky amounts of alcohol at least once a month, and 11% do so at least once a week. Risky drinking by adolescents takes a heavy toll on young people, including deaths, emergency hospital admissions, family, interpersonal and social conflict, diminished school performance, suicidal thoughts and violence. The Australian Drug Foundation completes its communication with me—I am sure other members have also received this—by pointing out — Adolescent drinkers are more likely to engage in risky drinking when they obtain alcohol from sources other than their parents. The introduction of ‘secondary supply’ legislation would: • recognise the right of parents to control their children’s access to alcohol, • offer young people protection from early drinking, and • educate the community about the need for care in supplying young people with alcohol. These are very salient points and certainly should be considered in the review of the act. I have mentioned that destination liquor stores and teen drinking or secondary supply laws are two of the problems with the current regime, and also that discounting below wholesale price is not conducive to managing excess drinking. I know that I am standing on sacred ground in some respects here. The member for Kimberley will forgive my reference to sacred ground, but I am not referring to our Aboriginal community. I am referring to the link between sport and alcohol, which is very prominent in this country and certainly in this state. Somehow or other we have to draw a line through this. We have to separate our sporting heroes, our sporting achievements and our sporting performance from half a dozen tinnies, glasses of champagne and alcohol-related sponsors for sport; we have to find a way of breaking that link. We did it successfully with Healthway when it moved against smoking some 30 years ago. I see no reason why we cannot move in a similar direction. Of course, the government could face a considerable impost by having to step up and meet the shortfall, if there is any, in particular country sporting event sponsorship. But there is no doubt in my mind that the link between sport performance and being a big boy or girl on the sports field achieving great outcomes and drinking grog at the pub or wherever and getting drunk to celebrate it has to be broken. I think that is one of the strategies that should be part of the way forward in dealing with alcohol in our community. [Quorum formed.] Ms L.L. BAKER: I now move on to my next topic of the contracting regime that the government has introduced to the community sector. I will comment on a number of issues that I spoke about in this house last year. These issues have since been raised with me again. I particularly want to underline that this government clearly believes that a competitive market is the best way to deliver human and community services. The government has been expanding the amount of work being contracted to the not-for-profit sector. Also this government is welcoming corporate and for-profit providers to tender for this work. Recently underlined by several agencies that have approached me, we find that more agencies are having to invest considerable amounts of their own time and resources to bid for contracts and to manage and comply with contractual requirements. Importantly, they might be good at writing tenders but not necessarily be good at providing services. As I think I have mentioned previously, in requests for tenders in relation to corporate contracting bids, the state’s contracting policies allowed for some capacity for the government to pay organisations or corporations for the preparation of

[4] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love tenders. If we ask big corporations about the cost of putting a tender in to government, they will very quickly tell us that it is a percentage of the total cost of the contract; that it is acceptable to incorporate it in the bid and, indeed, as far as I recall, in some cases they can claim that back even if their tender is unsuccessful. The problem is that some service providers face cash flow problems when payments are tied to predefined outcomes. This may cause them to dip into reserves to provide cash flow and leave them exposed to greater risks. The way contracting is being rolled out now by this government will fundamentally change the leadership and culture of these agencies as well as the way agencies respond to client needs. I quote Lucy Morris, a WA academic and very experienced chief executive officer in her own right in a not-for-profit sector. She states — The dominant story is of a corporatised, economics-driven sector, where leaders are promoted on their ability to run businesses that happen to be charities. In referring to some of the feedback I have received, I will not name the sources because they simply feel too exposed. I have feedback that shows that some not-for-profit organisations are growing into massive sizes with $20 million, $50 million and $70 million budgets, and that they are now talking about getting away from a not- for-profit mentality and being more commercial like a business. One constituent said — Yet at the same time we wring our hands and worry about the for profit sector moving in; but in reality how different are we from the for profit operators? That consideration has not been given enough attention. I turn also to what has happened in Britain with David Cameron’s big society. For those members who do not know about it, his idea was that government should step back to allow charities more room to help the needy. He was hoping to cut government investment in the not-for-profit sector to allow more charities to gain more support from corporations. I quote from Gary Johns on page 12 of The Australian of 9 April — The fact is charity in Australia is so closely tied to government it would fall over if government handed over the reins. He goes on to say that although charities play an important part in Australian society, they are also highly dependent on government funding and some would collapse without it. The Productivity Commission found that economically significant not-for-profits—that is, the big fellas—derive 33 per cent of their income from the government and only nine per cent from philanthropic sources. There is also a radical British group that Gary Johns talks about called “fakecharities.com”, which has defined a fake charity as one that derives more than 10 per cent of its income from government. Given that I am somebody who has come out of the sector, I would not necessarily agree with that definition and it is a bit harsh, but it does underline the problem of who owns the charity when the government pays for all the wages and the programs. It is a big issue in Britain and it will become a bigger issue here as the not-for-profits struggle for survival against the likes of Serco, which is bidding for the work that the not-for-profits have previously done. May I have an extension, Madam Speaker? [Member’s time extended.] Ms L.L. BAKER: The lead contractor model provides that the contractor may deliver services on a larger scale and then subcontract out to other providers in order to provide additional services, which increases the layers of bureaucracy and multiplies the levels of accountability. In Western Australia we are seeing small agencies struggling because they do not get the referrals from these big guys who have won the contracts; or when they do get the referrals, they are put on such a drip-feed of funding that they cannot be sustainable or survive as a result. In fact someone said to me—I have not had a chance to double-check this—that one small specialist service in the housing portfolio, which has been working for 30 years and actually won a major contract, has had to wind up its agency, even without some general meetings or whatever, and hand back the contract. I would suggest that that matter requires looking at if it is the start of a trend of these small agencies being unable to cope with the pressures of the new contracting regime. The overall effect of the lead contract model is to reduce the ability of local people to influence the quality of life and service responses in their communities. It is particularly the case in large regional centres. I will give members an example. If one of the big not-for-profits wins a contract to deliver something such as a domestic violence or family service across Western Australia and it does not have a delivery site existing in, say, a place like Roebourne, it will try to find a local provider to deliver that service. These tiny NGOs are therefore put on a drip-feed of funding. Members can imagine the struggle for an NGO to survive in Roebourne when the cost of hiring accommodation for the staff who deliver that service would be more than the entire contract value. The

[5] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love real devil behind the door is the growing threat from large corporate, for-profit providers muscling their way into community service delivery. In the United Kingdom, 35 of the 40 main contracts awarded under the government’s work program went to corporations like Serco, Deloitte, Ingeus and A4e. This was despite government assurance that the contracting process would provide more opportunities for not-for-profits. I will complete my comments by saying that we have passed the time where we can sit idly by and watch this happen. It will take a generation to catch up on the lack of knowledge and unpicking of networks that will result in our communities as a result of this form of contracting model. The intellectual property, knowledge base, resourcing and volunteerism, all of which is currency in a local community, will dissipate as the big corporations are funded to deliver services. It is a warning, of which I hope the government takes note. I move now to a subject that the Labor Party has spoken on many times and on which it has released policies and drafted legislation—namely, domestic violence. Last year I think the domestic violence legislation we put forward was rejected by the government. I think the government has some law in place now on the subject of domestic violence. In particular I want to talk about the link between the family pet—the companion animal— and domestic violence. Why does this matter? To start with, pets are not immune to domestic violence. Those who batter in a domestic violence situation frequently threaten to injure, maim or kill their partner’s or their children’s pets. Because victims understand the extent of the harm that their abusers are likely to inflict upon their pets, many hesitate to leave violent relationships out of concern for the safety of their pets, whom they love. When “batterers” abuse, their victims see the animal cruelty as part of a long history of violence aimed at weakening their resolve and locking them in. Threats such as “If you don’t behave, this is what will happen to you” are familiar to families involved in domestic violence. Recognising this, an increasing number of shelters have added kennels or instituted safe haven foster care programs for pets in domestic violent situations in an effort to protect the victims—the pets and the women and/or children who are subject to domestic violence. On 21 March 2012, the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges released a research report entitled “Pets as Pawns: The Co- existence of Animal Cruelty and Family Violence”. It is an extensive report; indeed, we are a little bit ahead in tackling this issue. In the eastern states, it is quite common for police to work with child protection agencies, women’s shelters and the RSPCA. They share information in a confidential way so that when one or the other turns up at a property and suspects that the family is in difficulty or that abuse is going on in that home, they share information to intervene to try to stop the abuse. Seventy-one per cent of pet owners who enter domestic violence shelters report that their “batterer” threatened, injured or killed the family pet. One study found that 87 per cent of “batterer”-perpetrated incidents of pet abuse are committed in the presence of a partner and for the purpose of revenge or control. Studies shows that up to 76 per cent of “batterer”-perpetrated pet abuse incidents occurs in the presence of a child and that 13 per cent of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence. Women in domestic violence shelters are 11 times more likely to report animal abuse by their partners than those not experiencing domestic violence and 52 per cent of victims in shelters left their pets with the “batterer”. I know from my work with the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services that it collects information about the link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. It asks women entering shelters about that link and its evidence suggests that the link is strong in our state. A number of solutions need to be looked at. Clearly, one of the obvious things that need to be done is for accommodation or foster care to be provided for the pets of women, or indeed children, leaving these violent situations so they feel confident that their dearly loved pet is not left in the hands of someone who is likely to kill or abuse it. Therefore, we need to have a much better system to firstly identify what has happened. In particular, the New Zealand report talks about the need for police and animal welfare officers to be educated a bit in each other’s business, if you like. Too many times, police discredited the woman’s report of what was happening to her pet as just an emotional outburst, not appropriate or not relevant and they would not pursue it, when in fact it was a very clear indicator of a much more severe problem of violence against the woman and her children. There are many ways we can tackle this and I hope that the government will have an open mind to finding ways to implement some of the strategies that the New Zealand report outlined in great detail. In my last seven minutes, I want to touch on an issue that was announced on 9 April 2013. The Department of Agriculture and Food WA—DAFWA—issued a media release saying that a WA piggery has been fined for animal welfare breaches. It states — A piggery near Gingin has today been fined $225,000 and ordered to pay $21,000 in costs in the Perth Magistrate’s Court for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2002.

[6] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Westpork Pty Ltd pleaded guilty last month to ten charges of cruelty to animals under section 19 of the Act. The offences were detected during inspections of its grow out facility in January and February 2009. Back in 2006 when the animal welfare unit was housed within the Department of Local Government, those in charge at the time were called to investigate allegations of cruelty. They thought those allegations were going to be substantiated, so charges were brought, but they were thrown out of court at the end of the day because of a technicality in the collection of evidence or something along those lines. So, this issue dated back to 2006. In 2009, we saw the department being called in again to investigate allegations of cruelty. The Westpork piggery was initially charged, I believe, because of evidence from an employee who blew the whistle on some of the conditions in which the animals were being kept. There are images available on YouTube. I recommend anybody who wants to have a look at them, to please go ahead. Of course, I cannot swear to the video’s authenticity because who knows what gets onto YouTube and how it gets there, but it claims some of the images are from that piggery. I think Westpork has about 40 000 pigs on its farm at any one time, and supplies about 30 per cent of the local pork market. The images that allegedly were originally seen back in 2006 were of very filthy conditions, with manure and urine piled so high that sometimes the pigs became sick or drowned, and the surviving pigs were eating the carcasses of the other pigs. It was not a pretty sight. These allegations, as I say, were dismissed at that time, as far as I am aware. The most recent charges against this company, which resulted in massive fines—I think they are the biggest fines that have ever been imposed in Australia for cruelty to animals—were brought back in 2009. There was no mention in the recent media release from DAFWA that there were 10 other charges, I believe, also brought against two of the directors of Westpork at that time. When the case was brought recently to court and — [Interruption.] The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member will resume her chair, thank you. Ms L.L. BAKER: I have three minutes to go, Madam. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry! Apologies, house. Ms L.L. BAKER: Do not do that to me; I have got my big wind-up! Persons originally called as witnesses to the case were not informed of the court date. There was no media release advertising that the matter would be in court and I think the media reporting of this case has been fairly minor considering it is the biggest fine ever in Australia for animal cruelty to be imposed by a magistrate. My point is that there has been no transcript of statements, no release of statements of material facts, no vision and no detail of why Westpork was actually convicted of these charges and given this fine. If I were a farmer involved in the intensive farming of animals, or the farming of animals, really, I would absolutely need to know the conditions upon which these fines were based because I would need to make sure that my standards were high and pure, and that I was not going to be subject to any of these charges. I am simply saying to the Minister for Agriculture and Food in the other place that it is well time for the industry itself to come clean and try to retain some level of transparency, try to grab some community confidence and to release the information so that farmers and the like have a basis upon which to judge whether their practices are proving to be effective or not. It would also be interesting to know the basis upon which the 10 charges against the two individuals concerned were dropped or why they have disappeared, if indeed they have. Maybe they are subject to a follow-up case; I am not clear about that yet, because there has not been any information release. However, I point to the urgent need for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to be way more transparent about this case. It is a significant case; it has had Australia-wide media coverage and it will continue to attract media because, let us face it, the social ethics around animal care and protection have changed. The community is now far more demanding of transparency and clarity, and I think it is a great opportunity for farmers to secure their place and to be shown to be holding up good standards for animal welfare. Take this opportunity, minister, and reveal the details. MR F.M. LOGAN (Cockburn) [4.03 pm]: I take this opportunity, first of all, to congratulate the Speaker, who is not in the house, on his election to the chair. I also take the opportunity to congratulate the Premier on his success in winning the election. “Colin the Comeback Kid” has done it yet again! I waxed lyrical about his initial victory in 2008; I will not go that far this time, but it certainly is pretty amazing and I acknowledge his success. I also congratulate all members of Parliament who have been elected and, of course, those who have been re- elected as well. First of all, I would just like to talk about my own election in Cockburn and thank constituents for returning me to a fourth term representing them in the Legislative Assembly. One of the unacknowledged aspects of the recent election, which certainly has not been covered too well by the media, is the collapse of the Greens vote, which was primarily the cause of WA Labor being in the situation it is, with 21 seats on this side of the house. My

[7] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love primary vote remained basically unchanged, but the Greens vote in Cockburn collapsed by 60 per cent, so that gives an idea of how the Greens vote collapsed around the state. It was not unusual; there are other places I can point to where it collapsed by between anywhere from 40 per cent to 70 per cent. Of course, with that collapse of the Greens vote, the preference flow evaporated and my two party–preferred vote went back by four per cent. What is the explanation for that? Given that most people in Western Australia did not even know what the policies of the Greens in WA stood for and what they were promoting, we can only assume that the vote against the Greens was based on federal issues and linked to the positions the Greens took federally. It certainly was the cause for WA Labor going backwards in some seats, and that was clearly expressed to members on this side of the house during the election period and on the election day itself. We can assume that the collapse in the Greens vote was also tied to those federal issues. The impact of the collapse in the preference votes from the Greens to the ALP resulted in the loss of some very good MPs who will be missed by their colleagues on this side of the house. I would like to acknowledge those MPs; in particular, Tony O’Gorman, John Hyde and Andrew Waddell. I know that everyone on this side of the house wishes them all the very best and we will greatly miss their contributions to not only the Western Australian Labor Party, but also to the house. Their contributions were fantastic, interesting, informative and well structured. One of my responsibilities as a shadow minister is jobs, industry and training. I will address the issue of floating liquefied natural gas platforms—FLNGs—that relate to my portfolio responsibilities in those areas as a package. The Premier talked about this earlier in question time and members have heard me speak about this issue before. In November last year, I spoke about floating liquefied natural gas platforms in one of my last contributions to the house before we rose. FLNGs are a job-killing technology for Australia and specifically for the Australian engineering, fabrication and construction industries. The Premier—and through the Premier, I presume, the Liberal Party—the Western Australian Labor Party, the Western Australian trade union movement and the majority of the engineering and fabricating industry in Western Australia are all opposed to the emergence of FLNG technology off the Western Australian coast. I will remind members in the house what FLNG technology is. Floating liquefied natural gas platforms are, effectively, floating versions of the North West Shelf. That is basically what they are. They are LNG processing trains that are put on pieces of floating equipment—members might call them barges but I will explain why they cannot be called barges in the future—that process the gas offshore rather than onshore. To give members an idea of how big these monsters are, the Prelude FLNG, which is being promoted by Shell, is 488 metres long, 74 metres wide and weighs more than 600 000 tonnes. It is five times bigger than the world’s biggest aircraft carrier. That is how large these monsters are. They are the biggest structures ever put into the water by humankind. That is just the Prelude platform. Members heard the Premier talk about the Prelude field being an isolated gas field that might suit FLNG technology. However, we are at the beginning of the promotion of FLNGs because once Prelude was approved, very quickly the Bonaparte FLNG project was approved. That project will be sponsored, run and owned by Santos and Technip—a French company—and probably will be the same size as Prelude. That project has been approved by the federal government. Now two FLNG platforms for the north west coast will be under construction in Korea. To go back to the size and scale of Prelude, the steel was cut very recently in November last year; 260 000 tonnes of fabricated steel will go into the Prelude project. A similar amount of steel and a similar amount of work will go into the Bonaparte project. Just imagine how many engineering, fabrication and construction jobs those projects would create in Western Australia. All of that employment will go offshore to South Korea and other north east Asian countries. When the Prelude project is complete, it will be floated down from north east Asia to its anchor point off the north west coast of Western Australia. Similarly, the Bonaparte floating liquefied natural gas project will be floated down from north east Asian countries and put into place off the Kimberley coast. No jobs will be created in Western Australia as a result of FLNG technology; hence the point I made that FLNG technology is a job-killing industry for Western Australia and for Australia. And it is going to get worse. Both those projects have received federal approval. The industry is very quick to pick up when it gets the green light from government. If the industry thinks it gets a green light and it has got its foot through the door and can push itself right through the door, it will do it. The ACTING SPEAKER: I apologise, but I am struggling to hear the member. Mr F.M. LOGAN: Quickly on the heels of Prelude and Bonaparte, ExxonMobil and its joint venture partners announced that they will develop the Scarborough gas field using FLNG technology rather than piping the gas back to Onslow where a major LNG hub is under construction at the moment for Chevron’s Wheatstone project. Onslow also was going to be the area to cope with the gas from the Scarborough gas field, way out in deep water off the Western Australian coast. Now, because of Prelude and Bonaparte, and because of the approval from the federal government, the venture partners are looking at FLNG technology. The scale of the Scarborough field is mind-boggling. They are saying that they will build a platform twice the size of Prelude’s platform. We assume

[8] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love that this is not going to be a barge, as the Premier talked about; it will be a 1.2 million–tonne steel island floating in the water anchored, I presume, by giant anchors or using self-propelled motors to stabilise it. There will be 1.2 million tonnes of steel holding LNG gas processing trains. As I said before, the Prelude field will be the largest thing ever to be put in the water by mankind, yet Exxon is planning something twice the size of that. What will WA get out of FLNG technology? Nothing. I said this in my speech in this house in November. We will get nothing out of it. We will get no engineering, fabrication or construction jobs and no domestic gas. None of that will emerge from the implementation of FLNG technology. The only thing that comes out of FLNG technology for Australia is the wellhead taxes that are raised by the federal government, because all the gas that is extracted by FLNG is in commonwealth waters. It is not surprising that the commonwealth will give approval to these FLNG operations. That will have no impact on Canberra or the eastern states; all the jobs that will not be created would have been in Western Australia. That is why the commonwealth does not care—the money will come pouring in out of these projects into Canberra. Western Australia will get nothing; it will get no income stream, no domestic gas and no jobs out of FLNG technology. As the Premier has indicated, and I indicated too during the time we had the debate on FLNG, we may not even get maintenance contracts. It is possible to actually use these floating islands as platforms to fly people in from South East Asia to do the maintenance, rather than people coming from the Western Australian coast, so we may not get maintenance either. We will get no benefit from the introduction of FLNG technology in Western Australia. There is something that we do get though—we get all the rest! The Premier was on his feet earlier talking about the impact of cyclones. These projects have never been introduced anywhere else in the world. There is no other FLNG platform in the world, but they are trialling them here in Western Australia. They are not trialling them on a small scale; they are trialling them on a massive scale, and they are putting them in cyclone alley. It has been shown that cyclones are becoming more prevalent across the north west of Western Australia, and they are becoming stronger as a result of climate change. What are we doing? We are putting floating islands right in the path of cyclones, which are increasing in strength, and on top of these islands we are putting gas processing trains. It will be a nightmare scenario should one of those LNG floating islands explode. We will probably see parts of it flying over the Legislative Assembly, the explosion will be that big! As bad as that would be if they were to become destabilised and get out of control and float towards the mainland or the islands, or they sink. All of those risks are there, and they are more prevalent off the north coast of Western Australia than probably most other places in the world, perhaps bar the Gulf of Mexico. They are more prevalent than anywhere else in the world but, as a country, the federal government is embracing FLNG technology. What is the Premier doing about it? He stands up and says to the house that he opposes FLNG technology and he certainty does not support its introduction in Western Australia, although I notice, comparing statements that he made to the house in November 2012 with the statement he made in answer to a question today, that he seems to have softened a little bit over the Prelude gas field. In November the Premier was strongly against Shell putting FLNG technology in place at Prelude, but today he thought it might make sense because it is a small, isolated field. Apart from crying foul about FLNG technology, what can the Premier do? Nothing! What can he do? The Premier can do a number of things. He can make it very clear to the Council of Australian Governments that Western Australia does not approve of FLNGs. [Member’s time extended.] Mr F.M. LOGAN: The Premier can make it very clear to COAG that WA will not approve FLNG platforms and will not help companies establish them off the coast of Western Australia. I know that people will say that is threatening investment, but this is investment that is not in the national interest. This is investment that should be opposed. It is not in Western Australia’s interest or the national interest; therefore, the Premier should make it very clear to COAG that the Western Australian government will do everything it possibly can so this technology is not established off the Western Australian coast. He can make it clear to the pro­FLNG federal resources minister, who seems to be going out of his way to support FLNG in Australia, that Western Australia will not approve any rollover of retention leases or future retention leases if FLNG technology is used. Western Australian resources ministers have the responsibility of signing off on retention leases, even if those retention leases are in commonwealth waters. There is a joint signing off process. The commonwealth works with the Western Australian government over retention leases, even when they are in commonwealth waters, if they are off the Western Australian coast. We should withdraw that cooperation and make it very clear that we do not agree with the rollover of retention leases for those companies that are using FLNG technology and make it very clear to the commonwealth that we will not approve new retention leases if the companies are going to use FLNG technology. Those are a few of the things that the Premier can do to oppose and try to stop FLNG implementation in Western Australia, but he will not. Mark my words, he will not do that because he is all talk.

[9] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

He says that this is bad and this is shocking but apart from that, he will not take firm, strong action against this job-killing technology for Western Australia. Members will hear a lot more from me about that type of technology and the establishment of FLNG in Western Australia over the next four years. Finally, I wanted to remind the house about the history and background of the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher in view of her passing. As a lot of members would know, they are blessed with my presence in this house and Australia is blessed with my presence in this wonderful country as a result of Margaret Thatcher. I was very happy about the passing of Margaret Thatcher. Mrs L.M. Harvey: What a dreadful thing to say. Mr F.M. LOGAN: It may not be a terrible thing to say. The minister should have tried to live under her. She was one of the worst Prime Ministers that the UK ever experienced. She was the only post-war Prime Minister who came close to being an evil person because of what she did to that country. Let me remind the house of a few of the things that she did, and I am not talking about breaking into the unions. We all know about that and how she changed the structure of the economy. Let me remind members about some of the things that Margaret Thatcher did. Everyone would remember the coalmine strikes and the destruction of that industry. Every single coalmine got closed. It was not the unions who closed them. Every single coalmine owned by the state government in the UK was closed, killing communities. There was the Falklands invasion and the sinking of the General Belgrano, which was recognised as a war crime. That ship was moving away from the zone of conflict and sunk with all hands. Many of the sailors on board were simply young conscripts. Margaret Thatcher’s attempt to introduce the poll tax in Scotland and the subsequent social damage it caused in the UK led to some of the biggest riots that Britain has ever seen. The poll tax affected every single person living in Scotland. Though she tried to do it in the United Kingdom, it never got rolled out. The damage she caused in Scotland was bad enough. It was a flat tax that applied to everybody living in the house. Regardless of whether a person lived in a mansion or in a council house, the same tax was paid. She wondered why people were so bitter and opposed to it. It led to some of the biggest riots the UK has ever seen. There were no negotiations in her approach to the Irish Republican Army and Northern Ireland. She let Bobby Sands and all the rest of the hunger strikers die. She was appealed to by everybody. Even the Pope appealed to her to intervene to stop the death of Bobby Sands and some of the IRA hunger strikers. Did she move? No, she did not—she let them die. Also during the Thatcher period were the huge race riots that destroyed parts of the British cities of Brixton, Manchester and Leeds. Massive destruction was caused by the bitter division she created in that country. Thatcher showed undying support for the Chilean dictator General Pinochet who was involved in the deaths of thousands and thousands of people; and people who are still missing today. As we know from watching TV, there are families still looking for people who disappeared under the Chilean dictator. Thatcher supported him all the way through his dictatorship and after, particularly when countries such as Spain were trying to charge him with war crimes. Thatcher’s attitude towards Nelson Mandela and the South African apartheid regime supported de Klerk. She made terrible and shocking statements about Nelson Mandela being related to the Communist Party and being related to terrorism. People forget what she was like. They are some of the things that she said. Thatcher privatised every state asset she could get her hands on. Places such as Corby, with British Steel—the whole town was built around one steel mill. It was virtually brand new when it was closed down. It was only about a decade or two old. It was high-tech; it was rolling stainless steel. The town was built around British Steel, yet it was shut down. That town ended up with 80 per cent unemployment as a result of her decision. There was also the closure and selling off of British docks. Those are some of the assets that she sold off. I can only imagine some of the impact that had on the towns that absolutely relied on that work. There was the closure of British shipyards and the manufacturing capability. As everyone in this chamber knows, Britain was the centre of manufacturing right the way through the post-war period to the Thatcher period. In the early 1970s— before Thatcher was elected—there was massive employment in Birmingham in manufacturing. By the time her 13 years was finished, those industries were completely gone—they were shut down and gone. There were more people unemployed at the end of her period in office than when she started! People do not remember that. We do not see too much of that in the media in the UK, or particularly here in Australia, about how she devastated the economy and created more unemployment than she had inherited in 1978. There was the promotion of the financial and services industries as the job creation industries of the future. As somebody said in the UK, there were three industries created under the Thatcher period: the financial sector and its subsequent collapse during the global financial crisis; the services sector, which has collapsed because people cannot afford the services; and the drug industry, which took off like no tomorrow because everyone had lost their jobs and there was complete depression in some of those towns. The only successful people were the drug dealers. That was what took off under Thatcher’s Britain.

[10] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Finally, I go back to Ireland and to her record in Ireland. It was not, as we have seen on the television, that she had a role in establishing the beginning of the peace process. That is just not right. Her government and her leadership were criticised and condemned by the European court over their role with the illegal and secret assassinations that had been carried out in Northern Island over and over again by operatives of the United Kingdom Special Forces. That is the history of Margaret Thatcher. She operated illegally, created unemployment, shut down industries and coalmines, and created division and the biggest riots that the country ever saw. That is the record of Margaret Thatcher. It is not a good record. It is a shocking record and one that should be put on the record here in Western Australia and on the record here in this house, and I am very, very pleased to be able to have done it. MS M.M. QUIRK (Girrawheen) [4.31 pm]: I extend my best wishes to those new members who are starting their parliamentary careers. I hope that each of you finds your role a fulfilling and satisfying one and that you serve your constituents attentively and diligently. I also congratulate the member for Mount Lawley on his election as Speaker. I am confident that with his extensive legal background and his respect for precedent and convention, we can look forward to balanced rulings and orderly and productive proceedings under his stewardship. I make special mention of a number of my colleagues who retired at or prior to the election. They fall into two categories: those who had the opportunity to make a valedictory speech and those who did not. In the former category are John Kobelke, former member for Nollamara and latterly Balcatta; Tom Stephens, firstly a member of the Legislative Council and latterly member for Pilbara; and Eric Ripper, former member for Belmont. Collectively, they served the Australian Labor Party and this Parliament and, most significantly, the people of Western Australia for over 70 years. All were former ministers. I worked closely with John, especially when I first came into this Parliament and was government Whip. John was then the government Leader of the House. He was a great mentor. We were also in neighbouring electorates. He was a diligent and conscientious local member and a minister with a great eye for detail, and a patient listener. I worked most closely with Tom Stephens in his last term as a colleague on the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee. Throughout his career, Tom maintained his strong commitment to social justice and the rights and wellbeing of Indigenous Western Australians. Eric Ripper performed admirably in many ministerial and shadow roles over the years, including that of Treasurer and Deputy Premier, and Leader of the Opposition. One of those roles not mentioned very often was that he was in fact the first Minister for Disability Services anywhere in Australia, which, although not having the status of subsequent portfolios that he held, was something that was dear to his heart. I appreciated the work that we did together to restore the incontinence pads subsidy that had been abolished under the Court government. Similarly, while Treasurer, he approved a subsidy for power costs for those relying on the operation of life-sustaining equipment at home. Amongst his many achievements these might seem trivial things to mention, but I think it demonstrates a lifelong commitment to social democratic ideals and ensuring that government should, wherever possible, remedy even small inequities. The other person who retired before the election and whom I should make special mention of is my friend Carol Martin. She was the first Aboriginal woman elected in any Australian Parliament—happily, a few have followed subsequently. That gave her a very high profile and added to her responsibilities. As member for Kimberley, she had to astutely manage expectations and balance competing interests. She had the burden of travel and distance that many metropolitan members in compact size electorates do not fully appreciate. When Carol spoke we listened, as she was frank and forthright and cared deeply for the community she represented. On my visits to the Kimberley over the years, I appreciated her insight and guidance. I know she will enjoy spending more time with her beloved family and returning to her considerable artistic and fishing endeavours. Finally in this context, I want to make mention of two of my colleagues who did not have the opportunity to make their valedictory speeches—the former member for Joondalup, Tony O’Gorman, and the former member for Perth, John Hyde. Like Carol Martin, both were first elected in 2001. Tony O’Gorman was a northern suburbs colleague, and as such we worked closely on issues of mutual concern for more than a decade. He was a tireless advocate for better services in the northern suburbs, and for that reason believed that Joondalup Health Campus should be afforded the status of a tertiary hospital. He also actively served on a number of community boards and performed admirably in this Parliament as an Acting Speaker. Tony was a member, and in his last term chair, of the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee, and guided inquiries on emergency management, post-traumatic stress of emergency workers, prison education and affordable housing. He also ensured that some basic protections for small business retailers in

[11] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love large shopping centres were enshrined as part of the liberalisation of retail shopping hours. Behind Tony’s soft- spoken brogue was a passion for community service and giving a voice to the concerns of ordinary Western Australians. Last but not least, John Hyde, the former member for Perth. I sometimes think John could be best described as a polymath. His interests and knowledge as a parliamentarian were wide and varied. He was a dedicated and informed deputy chair of the parliamentary committee that had oversight of the Corruption and Crime Commission, and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health; Attorney General. As a lapsed actor, he took a keen and knowledgeable interest in the arts and had an ardent vision of what enhanced Perth in the eyes of visitors. John’s relationship with many multicultural communities was well known, with a colourful shirt and greeting in the appropriate language for every occasion. There was, however, a serious side to this role, as he was an indefatigable advocate for many emerging communities. In 2005 he and I visited a refugee camp on the Thailand–Burma border, where 120 000 displaced persons had gone to escape the trauma of ethnic cleansing in Burma; most had been in the camp for many years. He was successful in lobbying the then federal Minister for Immigration and Citizenship to markedly increase the intake of such refugees. No mention of the former member for Perth would be complete without a reference to his skill on social media. He was an early adopter of Twitter, and was highly informed and entertaining in that medium. John is a firm believer that we need to be accessible to those we represent. After this introspection and reflection, I want to spend the remainder of the time allocated to me focusing on the future and what we can and should expect in the term ahead. I will firstly focus on the issues identified in my electorate, and secondly on legislative and policy priorities of government, some of which were set out in the Governor’s address; others, for no apparent reason, were overlooked completely. At this election the seat of Girrawheen was subject to a major redistribution. Although that was inevitable in view of the massive growth in the northern suburbs, it is regrettable that parts of my new electorate have had three different members in the last three elections. The capacity to form relationships, gain detailed local knowledge and ensure a level of accountability is limited; in my view, it creates a democratic deficit. As a general proposition, my electorate is too far from the city to benefit from the state government’s obsession with central business district projects. Creating so-called vibrancy by increasing the number of sites where one can purchase a $5-plus cup of coffee has little resonance for many of my constituents. It is too far north to benefit from the proposed Metro Area Express light rail project, the route of which inexplicably terminates many kilometres away. Conversely, the electorate is sufficiently far south to be overlooked by the local government, the City of Wanneroo, which is straining to cope with the exponentially escalating demands in the far north. Its position is sufficiently south that peak-hour train carriages are full and car parking is at a premium at Greenwood and Warwick stations, and escalating and frustrating congestion on the Mitchell Freeway, Alexander Drive and Wanneroo Road translates into more time spent away from family. Although much of the election was focused on public transport issues, not only will my electorate not even indirectly benefit from the MAX light rail project, but since the election the 451 bus route that takes people from Kingsway City Shopping Centre to Greenwood station has been stopped. Regrettably, there was little discussion during the election on affordable housing. For those who own their homes there is considerable mortgage stress with a range of cost-of-living pressures, including state government taxes and charges, impacting on people’s capacity to meet their housing costs. Many of those renting are finding it increasingly difficult to access suitable accommodation with, as we have heard this week, the average Perth rental climbing to $425 a week. Others wanting to gain homeownership are frustrated that former school sites, such as the Hainsworth Primary School site, are taking years to develop. This is depriving many people of the opportunity to remain in the neighbourhood, purchase a small block and possibly transition from Department of Housing accommodation or private rental. Development on that site seems no further progressed since Minister Marmion last had responsibility for housing some years ago. Those on the community housing waiting list can look forward—I use that term advisedly—to many years of waiting before a property becomes available. I was extremely disappointed that during the election the government gave no indication of when it intends to build a K–6 primary school in South Landsdale. WA Labor, however, identified this need and committed to building such a school, starting in 2015. Nearby schools are already nearing the 1 000-student mark and extensive housing development in the vicinity will only increase pressure on existing schools. Despite this pressing need, there has been no corresponding commitment from the state government and I will continue to work to ensure that gap is remedied. Another ubiquitous issue is hooning and the absence of police to crack down on hooning. The existing laws are not properly enforced. I had to laugh when I heard the government’s commitment to toughen up on hoon laws. The simple fact of the matter is that there are not sufficient police to enforce the existing laws. I obtained some

[12] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love figures as part of a parliamentary question last year and I was shocked by the small number of arrests in my electorate. The suburb of Marangaroo, for example, in the past 12 months had only one arrest made for excessive noise, none for dangerous driving, four for reckless driving and only three for excessive speed. Figures in Girrawheen were similar. In Landsdale one arrest was made for excessive noise, one for dangerous driving and five for excessive speed. Darch had only two arrests for reckless driving. Warwick fared better with two arrests for excessive noise, two for dangerous driving and 10 for reckless driving over the past year. We have only to drive through these suburbs to see the many tyre marks evidencing frequent and persistent hoon activity. It is no mere coincidence that with the reduction of police numbers and the broken promise by the Barnett government’s first term to provide an additional 500 police officers, this, if members will excuse the pun, is where the rubber hits the road. There are insufficient police officers to enforce these laws. On the issue of police resources, I was concerned to hear about the young autistic man who was badly assaulted in late December on Hepburn Avenue near Kingsway City Shopping Centre. This young man is a highly functioning autistic, but is fearful since the assault and is now extremely reluctant to leave his house as the offenders have not been apprehended. He has required maxillofacial plastic surgery and is having ongoing dental work to replace the teeth that he lost. Despite the severity of the attack, police were unable to attend on the day to interview the victim, claiming they were too busy over the festive season. There were further delays in conducting an interview and the victim’s father was told that it would not matter because it would be two weeks before any investigation could commence. Given the lack of action, in a search for witnesses, the victim’s father put pamphlets on cars and ran to ground CCTV footage that the police had not acquired. I am advised that from this work a witness was located but police were diffident about pursuing that. The victim’s father tried to impress upon police his son’s autism and that he would need to assist his son during the interview and be present when a sketch artist worked with his son. All this was rejected and, whilst I appreciate the desire to maintain integrity of the witness statements, it demonstrates a chronic ignorance of the impact autism may have on the manner and nature of responses given by the victim. In making his concerns known to the police complaints branch, it appears that it was investigated in-house by the supervisor of the very officers who were being complained about. Even the response that the victim’s father received from the Minister for Police compounds his grievance, as it says in part that the acting sergeant did not ascertain during the interview process that the victim was autistic, as he presented as articulate and competent. In the time allowed I have not done this case justice; however, I pose the following questions: What offences would take priority over assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with police contemplating taking no action for two weeks? Given that the assailants were driving a stolen car and subsequently caught on a Multanova in that car, why would this not galvanise some action? What were the so-called signs of autism that the acting sergeant said were not present? Is it satisfactory that a lay person has to run to ground CCTV footage and locate witnesses? How is it from the minister down that there was no apology and no acknowledgement that things could have been done better and why it was a concession that resources were stretched? I note from the Governor’s speech last week that the government’s legislative agenda is piecemeal and that there are some obvious omissions that form part of the government’s election commitments. Most notable in this omission is the commitment to so-called presumptive legislation. Under such laws firefighters who contract certain forms of cancer are presumed to have acquired that disease in the course of their employment. This has the important and equitable effect of enabling the family of a firefighter to receive workers’ compensation during his or her illness. The opposition introduced a private member’s bill to this effect over a year ago. It was not supported by the government. However, at the eleventh hour, after it was no longer possible to pass laws last year before Parliament was prorogued, the then Minister for Emergency Services made a press announcement in which he said that he would amend legislation to ensure the career and volunteer firefighters who contracted prescribed cancer—one of 12 as scheduled—would receive workers’ compensation. [Member’s time extended.] Ms M.M. QUIRK: The legislation was to provide cover for both career and volunteer firefighters who predominantly undertook structural firefighter activities and to retrospectively take into account their past years of service. The two other elements of this announcement—the consistent insurance coverage for all emergency volunteers and the establishment of a welfare fund for emergency services volunteers—were also not mentioned in the Governor’s speech. It is my fervent hope that the government proceed promptly with the three tiers of this commitment made in October last year. I find it interesting that it was not mentioned even though in his speech last week the Governor specifically mentioned the very significant contribution of volunteers in this state. In the context of laws that had been promised and not delivered, I also make reference to an announcement made by former Attorney General Christian Porter when, in February 2012, he promised the introduction of foetal homicide laws. In his media statement at that time he noted that the laws would ensure that a sentence for

[13] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love dangerous driving offences would reflect circumstances when such conduct caused the death of an unborn child. Such laws have not been introduced into Parliament yet and were not foreshadowed last week. Likewise, the escalating road toll needs to be addressed with a comprehensive repeat drink-driver strategy. A third of drink-drivers caught each year are repeat drink-drivers; that is simply unacceptable. It is unfortunate that there has been no mention of such a strategy, certainly within the last year, and my recollection is that it certainly was not mentioned during the election campaign or in any subsequent adumbration of the government’s policies. There are two other matters of legislative reform that I consider need to be placed high on the government’s agenda. In March last year a number of Nannup properties were burnt to the ground after a Forest Products Commission contractor’s machinery ignited a fire in the area. There was an excellent article in The West Australian by Kate Bastians headed “Buck passed as couple loses nest egg”. The author highlighted an anomalous situation that the government needs to remedy as a matter of priority. Alan and Francoise Morris owned as their retirement nest egg a blue gum plantation. It was burnt down in the circumstances I have outlined. The Forest Products Commission contractor was required under the contract to carry public liability insurance. However, when Mr and Mrs Morris claimed from the contractor’s insurers for the loss they had incurred, even though it was generally conceded that the contractor’s actions were the cause of the fire and subsequent damage, the insurers relied on section 67 of the Forest Products Act 2000 to refuse payment of their claim. That section provides in part — An action in tort does not lie against a person, other than the Commission, for anything that the person has, in good faith, done in the performance or purported performance of a function under this Act. Subsection (3) states — Despite subsection (1), neither the Commission nor the Crown is relieved of any liability that it might have for another person having done anything as described in that subsection. The outcome of this case, therefore, is a catch 22. The FPC claims that it is the contractor who should pay and who is insured for these very situations, but the contractor hides behind a provision essentially intended to protect the agency itself from liability. In any event the outcome is that through no fault of their own, Mr and Mrs Morris and their neighbours suffered significant financial loss. I am advised that similar provisions operate in other acts, such as the Marine and Harbours Act 1981, the Conservation and Land Management Act and the Electricity Corporations Act. They too may well create similar unjust and unintended consequences. Given that this situation has implications for a range of government agency activity, it would seem incumbent upon government to examine the issue rather than to force parties to litigation thereby incurring further expense and compounding the trauma already suffered. I consider it might be worthwhile that this subject form the basis of a parliamentary inquiry. Another area that I think is ripe for law reform relates to measures that facilitate the taking of representative proceedings, more commonly known as class actions. This is not an arcane or esoteric proposal but relates directly to the capacity, for example, of the Toodyay or Margaret River victims to take effective action in court. It is arguable in both these instances that the government was callous in suggesting that those suffering damage had to proceed to court when objectively in both cases it was clear there was a level of agency culpability. This is even more reprehensible when the rules governing so-called representative actions in WA are considered to be more unwieldy and uncertain than in other jurisdictions. An effective representative proceedings regime provides greater access to justice for claimants. It provides a real remedy when, although many people are affected and the total amount at issue is significant, each person’s loss is small and not economically viable to recover by way of individual action. In other words, the high cost of taking action individually precludes many people from proceeding to litigation. It enables groups of persons to be able to obtain redress more cheaply and efficiently than would be the case for individual actions. In discussion paper 103 recently issued by the WA Law Reform Commission, written by barrister Tim Hammond, the conclusion is reached that there are real risks in commencing representative proceedings in WA. There is little case law as to what “same interest” means, which is the criterion that litigants have to establish to say what they have in common to found such an action. The paper concludes that if there is not the relevant same interest, there is a risk that only the named representative has begun proceedings in accordance with the rule and the statute of limitations will continue to run against those parties who are represented with the consequence that they may well not be entitled to relief at the end of proceedings. Consequently, the current rule for such actions creates an unacceptable degree of uncertainty for litigants and their advisers generally choose not to commence proceedings. The Western Australian Law Reform Commission is seeking comments on the paper until the end of May. It is hoped that the Attorney General will act promptly upon receipt of the commission’s final recommendations.

[14] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

The final issue of law reform relates to financial elder abuse. The number of seniors in WA will double by 2050; indeed, by 2050 one in four Western Australians will be over 60 years of age. As we know, of course, age of itself does not mean a loss of capacity, and many senior Western Australians have the ability to make a positive contribution to the community. Those more vulnerable however are at risk of being victims of abuse and an ageing population means that there will be an increase in the number of those most vulnerable. Advocare and the University of Western Australia Crime Research Centre released a research paper in April 2011 entitled “Examination of the extent of elder abuse in Western Australia”. It found that elder abuse is not well known and understood by the WA community. It is significantly underreported and is most prevalent in the form of financial abuse. Put simply, financial elder abuse is the illegal or improper exploitation or use of funds or other resources of an older person. Studies suggest that approximately three to seven per cent of people over the age of 65 will experience abuse by someone with whom they have a relationship of trust, with financial abuse identified as the fastest growing type of abuse. The notion of financial elder abuse encompasses the careless or negligent handling of an older person’s financial affairs. It includes the exploitation of an older person with intent by a friend or family member often over a lengthy period. This needs to be distinguished from fraud and theft by people who are not in a relationship with the older person, which is considered criminal activity, not financial elder abuse. However, police are reluctant to prosecute in these circumstances because victims are frail and possibly experiencing memory loss. The most prevalent form of financial elder abuse is the improper use of enduring powers of attorney from interstate. Measures can often be taken where there is inappropriate use of enduring powers of attorney. However, the discovery of this abuse is often after the funds of an elderly person have been exhausted. It is very important that we have a robust system to police enduring powers of attorney. I suggest that the government look at this issue comprehensively and that it is an appropriate subject matter to be referred to the Law Reform Commission. There is also the issue of enduring powers of attorney from other states being used in Western Australia, which may well facilitate financial elder abuse. It is important that any proposed scheme or review of enduring powers of attorney look at the mutual recognition of enduring powers of attorney. That will require some cooperative endeavours with other Australian jurisdictions to ensure that there is some level of uniformity. As I said, it is becoming more prevalent but is not well known. Concurrently, we must raise awareness amongst professionals who come into contact with elderly people so that they can identify the signs of financial abuse. I refer to general practitioners, lawyers, real estate agents, accountants and banking personnel, all of whom may unwittingly facilitate financial elder abuse. It is important that they know what signs to look for. All of the matters raised are complex issues, but the community expects and demands that the government address such complex issues. Just because an issue cannot cynically be reduced to a few glib 10-second grabs, a one-page press release or some soothing and heartwarming vision, that is not a good reason to ignore it. With power comes responsibility and that means governing for all. MR M.H. TAYLOR (Bateman) [5.01 pm]: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate you and all members on their electoral success. I would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank all those people who have helped me to achieve the honour and privilege of being elected as the member for Bateman in this thirty-ninth Parliament of Western Australia. My supporters include family, friends, colleagues, congregation, associates and even strangers, and whilst they are too great in number to thank individually here and now as they deserve, I will be forever grateful to them and seek to express that personally when given the opportunity. I am honoured to deliver the first inaugural speech for the seat of Bateman, especially given it is the state electorate that I am most passionate about representing. I would like to sincerely thank all the constituents who voted for me at the 9 March 2013 general election and in doing so entrusted me to best represent their interests, a responsibility that I am fully committed to. Given this is the first inaugural speech for Bateman, I wish to acknowledge past members. The seat of Murdoch was established in 1976 and won by Mr Barry MacKinnon a year later. Mr MacKinnon held the seat for 12 years while serving as Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia from 1986 to 1992. In the 1989 election, the electorate of Murdoch was largely replaced by the electorate of Jandakot, although this was effectively reversed at the 1996 election when Mr Mike Board was elected as the member for Murdoch. After Mr Board retired in 2005, much- loved former football star Mr Trevor Sprigg won the seat and served until his unexpected and tragic passing in 2008. At the 2008 by-election, Mr Christian Porter was elected as the member for Murdoch and immediately became the shadow Attorney General. Some six months later at the 2008 general election, Mr Porter won the newly created seat of Bateman, which largely replaced the former electorate of Murdoch. Hon Christian Porter resigned from the seat of Bateman in 2012 to seek preselection for the federal seat of Pearce.

[15] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

The electorate of Bateman is bound by the Canning River in the north east, the suburbs of Bull Creek in the east, Murdoch in the south, and the business areas of Kardinya and Myaree in the west. The electorate also includes the whole suburbs of Bateman, Brentwood and Winthrop, as well as parts of Alfred Cove, Booragoon, Melville and Mt Pleasant. Historically, Bateman was the locale of the Noalimba Reception Centre situated in Mandala Crescent. Noalimba is the Aboriginal word meaning “belonging to all” and the centre was built in 1968 to provide temporary accommodation to migrants, functioning in that capacity until the 1980s. Bateman continues to be a place for all, given that approximately 40 per cent of the 34 000 residents were born overseas, the majority of whom come from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia. This diversity also extends to the languages spoken; approximately one in four Bateman residents speak a language other than English at home, with the prominent languages being Indonesian and the Chinese languages of Mandarin and Cantonese. The electorate was named after the Bateman family who arrived in the colony at Fremantle in 1830, shortly after which John Bateman built a store in Fremantle dealing in merchandise. His sons carried on the business in the family name. Now over 180 years on, Bateman continues its association with strong and vibrant business, led by the industries of health care and social assistance, education and training and retail. Bateman businesses play a key role in supporting our Western Australian economy and in keeping unemployment in the electorate lower than the state average. I am proud to represent an electorate that is leading the way in social infrastructure. At the heart of Bateman is the Murdoch activity centre, expected to become the largest employment node outside the Perth CBD, with some 35 000 jobs. Already located in the Murdoch activity centre is Australia’s largest university campus, the Murdoch University South Street campus covering 2.2 square kilometres. It is home to over 18 000 students, including 3 000 international students from more than 100 countries. Murdoch University was ranked in the top two per cent of world universities in 2012 and has firmly established its standing as one of our nation’s leading universities. Adjacent to Murdoch University is Fiona Stanley Hospital, which following completion will be the largest medical complex in the Southern Hemisphere and will provide some of the most technologically advanced treatments in the world. As well as having what will be one of the best public hospitals in Australia, the Murdoch activity centre is also home to St John of God Murdoch Hospital. Last year, in 2012, an independent nationwide survey ranked St John of God Murdoch number one in patient satisfaction for large private hospitals in Australia. Bateman is blessed to be home to both public and private hospitals that are amongst the best in our nation. The electorate of Bateman is served well by the two busiest train stations on the Perth–Mandurah rail line, Bull Creek and Murdoch. In fact, Murdoch is the busiest suburban rail station in Western Australia with over 5 000 boardings each day, and that is prior to Fiona Stanley Hospital and the remainder of the activity centre becoming operational. Just outside, but running along Bateman’s northern boundary, is Garden City shopping centre, which hosts a tremendous range of retailers. This shopping centre already boasts the best return-per-square-metre retail floor space in any Western Australian shopping centre and is the fourth most productive in Australia. In 2013 Garden City will commence a doubling of its retail floor space. Having promoted the Bateman electorate through an acknowledgement of its history, vibrant business community, diverse general population and world-class public amenity, I now wish to commence representing the interests and concerns of Bateman constituents in this Parliament. During the election campaign, which included a whole-of-electorate postal survey, it was evidently clear that the general issue of greatest concern to the constituents of Bateman was fighting back against crime, hoons and antisocial behaviour in our local community. I pledge to do my best to ensure that the people of Bateman feel safe in their own homes and in their local neighbourhood. I will also fight to ensure that people who choose to be criminals are dealt with appropriately and in line with community expectations. Other current local concerns include issues of traffic and congestion around the electorate, a requirement for increased feeder bus services to the train stations and more public transport with improved routes. The business community is also concerned with costs such as payroll tax and stamp duty. Businesses are looking to government to reduce so-called red tape and the amount of time they are required to spend on non–income producing activities. There is also a clearly dominant single issue affecting both businesses and the people of Bateman—that is, the Roe Highway stage 8 extension through to Stock Road, known as Roe 8. This vital piece of regional and local infrastructure will significantly improve freight and private vehicle movements, reduce congestion and, importantly, facilitate critical southern access to the Murdoch activity centre. The constituents of Bateman overwhelmingly support the construction of Roe 8 and I will continue to strongly advocate for its timely completion. Having painted a picture of the Bateman electorate, I will now turn the brush to myself and provide some insight into who I am, what I have done and what I hope to do. I would not be in this special place today without three special people. The first is my wife, Angela Taylor, a stunning and vibrant young lady who is highly intelligent,

[16] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love competent and discerning. She is trustworthy and loyal, honest and fun, but most attractive to me is her compassion for others and her devotion to those things she cares about—wonderful attributes for a wife and mother, and especially important given my predicted absences from parenting. Angela was awarded a degree in zoology and then later a second degree in environmental science. We first met when she was interviewed for a job like mine at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. We developed a strong friendship as we worked together from neighbouring offices and spoke socially and deeply over many a hot chocolate, a decadent excuse really. That friendship developed into a relationship and then marriage. This trusted partnership provides me with the choice to dedicate so much of my time—so much of our time—to serving the community. Our marriage became a catalyst for life’s most important commitment, to have children, and for my most important role in life, to be a father. I would like to acknowledge my two sons, Noah who is four and Jacob who is two. Whilst they have very different personalities, they are both amazing little men and I am mesmerised by them. In fact, I crave them and could not possibly love them any more than I already do. To Noah and Jacob, I apologise now with all my heart for future absences from some special occasions and for not being there sometimes when you need me. I hope you too will develop the desire to serve your community, which in turn should at least make it a little easier to explain my obligatory absences. That said, I am and will remain resolutely protective of my family and the time we need to spend together. I will not abdicate my parental responsibilities just because external demands for my time are high. Rather, my intention will be to demonstrate a life–work balance that reflects my belief that strong families are the building blocks to vibrant, resilient and prosperous communities and that strong families are absolutely dependant on committed and dedicated parents. In a world of evolution through generations, it is fair to say that the level of my success is dependent upon the level of my children’s success. The other two special people I would like to specifically acknowledge and thank are my parents, to whom I owe so much. For without their support, nurturing and guidance I would not be the person I am, nor would I be in this privileged position today. It is easy for me to understand who I am simply by knowing my parents and deducing a blend of traits. They have been the best parental role models I could have hoped for. My mother, Wendy Taylor was born in Three Springs and attended the Dominican Ladies’ College convent school in Dongara, where her parents owned the general store. She came down to Perth to work initially as a mothercraft nurse and then most often in medical reception as she continues to do. My mother is the most selfless person I know. Her desire to help others and her community knows no bounds. All her life she wanted to be a mother and she has put her family first, always. My mother’s commitment to her early role as primary parent in our house has been nothing short of amazing and inspirational. She is responsible for me inheriting the love of family, discipline and strong Christian values. These will serve me well in representing the conservative Bateman electorate, which, according to the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics census data, contains approximately 60 per cent of residents expressing Christian religious affiliation. Of course, the benefits of expressing Christian values extend to the whole community and not just those people with a similar set of beliefs. My father, Trevor Taylor, was born in Cottesloe. When his family moved to Mingenew, he began to board at Christ Church Grammar School and later at Narrogin School of Agriculture. At an early age he joined a shearing team in the north of Western Australia and eventually worked his way up through the wool industry in numerous executive roles with various companies, serving on state, federal and international wool organisations. My father is a big-picture thinker and a brilliant and accomplished businessman. Throughout his career he was respected for his achievements and earned a reputation for being honourable, trustworthy, loyal and having integrity. It is primarily through my father that I pride myself on those very same values, and it is through my father that I inherited a great appreciation for, and belief in, the ideologies promoted through the Liberal Party, such as entrepreneurship, individual freedoms, incentivising behaviour, market-based solutions and smaller, less intrusive governments. I grew up with my two brothers, Peter and Troy, in a 100-year-old house in East Fremantle. We were gifted the most amazing childhoods as we rode our bikes or walked the short distance down to the Swan River to play on the beaches or cliff faces, to go swimming, fishing, skindiving for food and, later, boating when capable. It seemed like our backyard was the whole town of East Fremantle. We really loved it and made the most of it. While I was a young boy, our family had a small boat that we used for skiing and crabbing. Later we had a small ex-cray boat that we regularly used to take friends out fishing for herring and squid just outside the Fremantle harbour and then we would come back home to barbecue our catch and enjoy each other’s company. We would also take the boat to Rottnest Island for our annual holiday, which to this day remains my favourite and most effective place to re­energise. It is also where Angela and I were married.

[17] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Both of my mother’s sisters married farmers in Moora and Mt Barker, and her best friend married a professional crayfisherman in Dongara, so all of our school holidays were spent on farms and deep-sea fishing. We were so blessed by our childhood experiences, and they have helped to forge a real connection and intrinsic passion that I feel for non-metropolitan Western Australia, not just the incredible landscapes and lifestyles, but also the cultures and people. My parents sacrificed so much in order to give us three boys the best possible upbringing and start in life. They both worked full time and extremely hard to pay for us to go through Christ Church Grammar School. We never seemed to have excess money, but we never went without and, most importantly, we felt security, certainty, trust and love. I have dedicated a significant portion of my inaugural speech to describing my family and upbringing because ultimately I am a hybrid reflection of my committed and dedicated parents, and my treasured life is a reflection and continuation of the life that my parents created for me growing up. Because we are an evolving civilisation, the most important role we have in life is to be committed and dedicated parents, seeking to provide the best opportunities for our children and therefore society into the future. This mantra will drive much of what I seek to do as a member of Parliament and is why one of my focuses will be on protecting the rights and lifestyles of children and families and promoting the benefits of investing in children and our society, not just through committed and dedicated parenting, but also through education and health in particular. After schooling, I followed my brothers into commercial fishing. My first job was as a deckhand on a deep-sea scampi trawler based in Port Hedland, but fishing some 350 kilometres north around the beautiful Rowley Shoals. My next job was a little unexpected, as I was trying to get enthused about continuing an economics assignment at my parents’ house before I settled on the excuse that I would visit my brother on a trawler he was refitting in Fremantle. A couple of hours later I had accepted a job and began working immediately. Then, less than two weeks later, I sailed on the prawn trawler Bootlegger up the west coast and across the north coast of Australia to commence the banana prawn season out of Weipa in far North Queensland. [Member’s time extended.] Mr M.H. TAYLOR: As an introverted thinker, I found the vast open ocean a wonderfully valuable experience, and I did not mind at all not stepping foot on land for months; in fact, I wondered how I would possibly sleep on a bed that did not move! I gained enough sea time in order to obtain my skipper’s ticket, but I knew that commercial fishing was not to be my career. After working on numerous prawn trawlers, sardine purse seiners, tuna longliners and fish trawlers, I understood the opportunity in—in fact, the necessity of—aquaculture, so I decided to learn how to produce seafood. In addition to my own experiences, I knew that world stocks of seafood were declining, with many fisheries near or beyond thresholds for sustainability. I also knew the solution was to license the sustainable yield of a fishery and then meet the shortfall in demand through sustainable aquaculture production. In 1995 I completed the Certificate of Aquaculture at TAFE in Fremantle, which, I must say, was a fantastic facility to introduce people to aquaculture and then educate them to our highest standards of science and practice. After this one-year course, I was accepted into a Bachelor of Life Science, Aquaculture and Seafood Science at Curtin University. I became the first person in my family to study at university and enjoyed learning there because I was passionate about the subject. After being awarded my bachelor’s degree, I commenced an honour’s degree in aquaculture. I chose an industry-suggested project that was a collaboration between Curtin University and the state government aquaculture development unit in Fremantle. My thesis topic was a growth assessment of juvenile Haliotis laevigata fed enriched Ulva rigida. In simple terms, it was two-part research. The first was the use of a common macro algae called sea lettuce to absorb nutrients of different concentrations in sea water and, by doing so, increase the algae’s protein content. The second part was then feeding the enriched algae to greenlip abalone and assessing whether an increased protein content of the algae resulted in a faster growth rate for the abalone. I selected this research because I am fundamentally driven in life by the triple bottom line. That is, economic growth in a way that maximises benefits to society and minimises environmental impacts. I wanted to know whether we could use an algae to clean the waste water from aquaculture and in doing so create a cheap food source that could increase production, which would in turn benefit the local economy and families. In 2000 I was awarded the only first-class honours for aquaculture in Western Australia, which together with my business experience and skills secured me a dream job as a project coordinator in the environmental projects office at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The very first official function that I attended was coincidentally in the chapel at my old school to listen to the presentation by the then Chief Scientist of Australia, Dr Robin Batterham. Amongst an overwhelming volume of

[18] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love inspiring and intriguing messages that evening, there was one statement that will continue to frame and guide my professional life. Dr Batterham said that science and innovation are the fuels of modern economies. Fortunately I am not forced to adopt a passion for science, innovation or business. They have all been hardwired into me, and just as they fuel modern economies, science and innovation, they also fuel me. I am constantly seeking more efficient and effective ways of doing things. Not long after joining the CSIRO, I contacted the then WA Minister for the Environment to ask what her number one issue was that the CSIRO could assist with. The response was water reuse, so I organised a meeting with senior representatives from the seven major stakeholder agencies and we agreed to address water reuse in WA as a top priority. I facilitated that process, which led to WA’s first state water reclamation strategy, and I co-chaired the first Western Australian water recycling forum, which was held earlier in 2002 at the CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences. That same approach to the WA Minister for the Environment was forwarded to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and through this process I negotiated on behalf of the CSIRO the first strategic alliance agreement being signed between the CSIRO and the state government. I later joined the business development unit and was part of a three-person group tasked with creating, and then directing, a national research flagship here in Western Australia based on the priority research needs of the key state government agencies and entities. It became known as “Water for a Healthy Country” and included research programs addressing Perth water futures, urban water management, water recycling and reuse, Avon Basin 2050, wheatbelt deep drainage and farm water futures. This time proved to be the most enjoyable period of my career to date due to the inspirational people and science. I will forever be grateful to my mentors, Dr Geoff Syme and Dr Tom Hatton, who amongst other things taught me the joy of deflecting praise and recognition to those around me. Prior to leaving the CSIRO and later as a sole trading consultant, I was contracted by the Armadale Redevelopment Authority as the project director for the Wungong Urban Water Master Plan. Despite no prior knowledge of planning I was responsible for initiating and facilitating a three-and-a-half-year complex urban design process involving a team of more than 70 people from over 40 organisations, incorporating community, industry and local, state and commonwealth governments. Wungong Urban Water Master Planning resulted in a uniquely comprehensive set of plans, documents and policies governing a 1 500 hectare greenfield site initially for 40 000 people in 16 000 households. Resulting from the collaborative planning process was a new place- based planning system for Western Australia, localised total water cycle management that sought to reduce scheme water use by 75 per cent, 21 kilometres of park avenues for amenity, stormwater management and urban ecology, identification and preservation of Indigenous sites, an interconnected network of all open space and district solar orientation. The collaborative planning process I facilitated for the Wungong Urban Water Master Plan was unique and encouraged experts and stakeholders to be open minded about exploring opportunities and challenging traditional constraints in an attempt to discover the best option, rather than implement historical standards. Individuals were asked to function both as a neutral member of the community as well as a supplier of relevant technical expertise. This meant that an urban designer, landscape architect, civil engineer, environmental consultant, hydrologist, transport planner, archaeologist, water engineer and myself worked together to make collaborative decisions regarding all aspects of the Wungong Urban Water Master Plan. This cross-discipline interaction, such as having a hydrologist assess transport planning or a civil engineer comment on landscape architecture, was the key to real innovation and an evolution in the practical knowledge of participants. Upon completion, the Wungong Urban Water Master Plan won the Planning Institute of Australia WA Division 2007 president’s award for planning excellence and the 2007 award for environmental planning or conservation. Continuing as a sole trading consultant, I managed the sustainability consultancy for the Latitude 32 industry zone. At 1 400 hectares, Latitude 32 was one of the largest industrial redevelopments in Australia. The consultancy was responsible for collaboratively setting the project’s triple bottom line benchmarks and providing advice to the project team on sustainability issues, including natural ecosystems, resource extraction, infrastructure, transport, energy, water, built form, industrial ecology, eco-efficiency, industry clustering, by- product synergies and resource efficiency. I then became a founding executive director of a professional services company, established to provide business, industry, government and the community with practical and sustainable solutions to climate change. Core services included policy development and analysis, risk assessment, climate change impact assessment and adaptation, greenhouse gas inventory and reduction, renewable energy design and evaluation, energy and water efficiency for settlements, eco-efficiency, sustainable production and technical project management. I was responsible for setting up the company and then for its general management and administration, in addition to

[19] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love continuing to provide technical project management services in the area of sustainable development, such as an advisor to LandCorp for its joint venture with Lend Lease at Alkimos Beach. As a sustainable development consultant and working from home, I was able to spend a great deal of time with my two sons during their early developmental phases. This was incredibly important to me and a deliberate prioritisation. Throughout my career I have been provided with fantastic opportunities that have allowed me to dedicate my professional life to directing large-scale, complex projects, programs and processes. This has developed high- level abilities that I believe will be valuable as a member of Parliament. These skills include leadership, collaborative planning, relationship management, business development, strategic planning, negotiation, facilitation and investigation. Given my experience and areas of interest, I enter this place with a desire to assist at a state level. I would like to be part of a team that develops a large-scale aquaculture industry here in Western Australia. I would like to help plan for the predicted doubling of our state’s population in the next 30 years in such a way that our children will inherit a state with even better liveability, lifestyle and standards of living. I would like to assist with state development, and not just the largest projects of state significance, but also with building and nurturing relationships, particularly amongst our trading partners and broad regional neighbours. And I would like to develop and promote science and innovation in Western Australia. I am often asked why I wanted to become a member of Parliament. The simple answer is: to solve problems, create opportunities and connect people. It is my intention to do this not just for the constituents of Bateman but also, more broadly, for the State of Western Australia. Sure, there is greater opportunity to earn more money outside of politics, to have a better lifestyle outside of politics and, most important to me personally, I could dedicate more time to being a better husband and father outside of politics. However, inside me there has always been an inherent desire to serve the community, and being a member of Parliament is where I believe I can effect the most positive change within my lifetime. I thank all members for the respect they have shown me through their attendance and attention on what is a very special occasion for an honoured new member of this Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you all. [Applause.] MS E. EVANGEL (Perth) [5.30 pm]: Mr Speaker, please accept my sincerest congratulations on your election to position of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. As a newly elected member, I respectfully look forward to your guidance in this place. I congratulate all fellow elected members, new and old, and thank our Premier, Hon Colin Barnett, for his advice and encouragement throughout the election period. To our parliamentary officers and staff, your assistance has helped make my transition to this place a pleasant one, and for this I thank you. I stand here before you as the first Liberal Party member for Perth in 45 years—an electorate in which I both live and work. I take this opportunity to pay respect to the last Liberal to hold this seat, the late senator, Hon Peter Durack, who represented the seat of Perth between 1965 and 1968. By all accounts, Hon Mr Peter Durack was a man of great ability and integrity. He went on to represent Western Australia in the Senate from 1970 to 1993 and served as Australia’s Attorney-General from 1977 to 1982. If he could see our Perth city now, I am sure he would agree she has grown; she has changed. She is transitioning into a world-class city of distinction and significance. What may perhaps have been but passing thoughts, dreams or visions for our city’s future in the mid to late 1960s are now becoming a reality. As for our wider Perth electorate, it has more than doubled in size and now includes the suburbs of East Perth, West Perth, Northbridge, Highgate, North Perth, Leederville, Mt Hawthorn, and pockets of Mt Lawley and Coolbinia. What has remained—in fact I could confidently say has been enhanced over the years—is the rich blend of cultural diversity evident in all aspects of the Perth electorate lifestyle. We are home to constituents from many varied and diverse cultural backgrounds from all continents of the world. It is this cosmopolitan mix that defines our community, and our café and restaurant culture. It is celebrated via the many cultural, food and music festivals held annually throughout the electorate. To appreciate the value of this diversity, we need only look at Northbridge, Leederville and Mt Hawthorn, home to the numerous cultural groups and associations that have been embedded in our community’s social fabric for close to—or over, in some instances—100 years. I am proud to say that my longstanding involvement with many of these groups has been extremely rewarding.

[20] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Mr Speaker, I have had the privilege of working with you as a fellow City of Perth councillor, but for those amongst us who do not know me, I wish to indulge in some personal and professional history. My academic and professional backgrounds are in education and media. I proudly lay claim to being one of the foundation teachers at St Andrew’s Grammar. Many amongst us are friends of St Andrew’s, which is a private independent college successfully operated under the auspices of the Hellenic community of Western Australia. Additionally, I have enjoyed a career in the media industry, presenting and producing lifestyle programs and independent documentaries. I have a long and multi-dimensional affiliation with the Perth electorate I now represent in this place. At the time of my birth, my newly migrated Greek parents, Tasso and Julia Parissis, were living in Brisbane Street. My mother and late father—who, if he were alive, would be celebrating his eighty-fifth birthday today—like so many others before and after them, sought refuge in this great country from poverty and helplessness, a result of years of world and civil wars in their native homeland, Greece. They arrived in Australia in the early 1960s with empty pockets and little knowledge of the English language. My parents—represented by my mother, Julia, here tonight—were people of great integrity, honesty and work ethics of distinction; not uncommon to the many new Australians I have been privileged to meet. I have much to thank my parents for—primarily, for a loving, secure childhood for my brother, my sister and myself. They instilled in us a pride and appreciation of our Greek heritage, taught us their native language and raised us according to their Orthodox faith. However, we were always reminded that first and foremost we are Australian, and it is with this great country our loyalty resides. I thank my parents for being brave enough to leave their family and homeland at such a young, innocent age, in search of a brighter future in this great country, with all the opportunities it presents. My Greek background I share with my husband, Bill, a legal practitioner in the city centre for over 25 years, and together we have enjoyed sharing these traditions with our three beautiful children: Andria, a second-year nursing student; Christos, a law student; and Juliet, who is currently studying marketing and business. Both Bill and I have close affiliations with the Hellenic community of Western Australia, having served on numerous committees and associations over the years, and it is with pride that I acknowledge the strong Hellenic presence throughout my Perth electorate. This includes the cathedrals of St Constantine and Hellene, and Evangelismos; the Hellenic community centre, the Hellenic club, the Hellenic Women’s Association, the Floreat Athena Soccer Club, St Basil’s welfare; and Castellorizian House. Many Greek Australians have made extraordinary contributions to Western Australia in business, academia, medicine and community service. I proudly recognise our former Western Australian Governor, Dr Ken Michael, and his wife, Julie, as outstanding Western Australian citizens of Greek background. Their exceptional service to our state was recently recognised by the Greek government, with the bestowment of its highest honour upon them, the Order of the Phoenix. I have often heard our former Governor speak fondly of his early childhood years, growing up in Northbridge, just one street away from his lovely wife, Julie. Such fond childhood memories I too share. In the mid to late 1960s, my father, Tassos, was a partner in one of the first nightclubs in Northbridge, the Top Hat Cabaret, and in the early 1970s became famous for his kebabs when he opened the Plaka Coffee House in James Street, Northbridge. It is during this time of childhood and teenage years that I have my fondest memories of our city and Northbridge as a colourful, exciting family-friendly environment. It was Perth’s epicentre of culinary delights and entertainment hub. Such memories as these inspired me to seek election as a City of Perth councillor and commit eight years to supporting the rejuvenation of Northbridge and our city centre. It was somewhere between my teenage years and role as a councillor that my childhood playground suffered a loss of identity, when its value and community standing was questioned and when it lost its family and social appeal. I applaud the strength and endurance of the businesses and communities in withstanding years of commercial and retail difficulties through a lack of attention and investment by successive governments in city infrastructure. What in fact occurred was described by highly acclaimed local academic and historian Professor Jenny Gregory as the “doughnut city phenomena”. The concentration of public moneys was focused on an expanding city and our northern–southern corridor extensions, whilst our city centre experienced many years of urban infrastructure drought. Community involvement has always been a passion of mine, and I discovered early in my adult life that the more you put into your community, the more you can indeed achieve, and I found it was a process I thoroughly enjoyed. Frustrated by the lack of government investment in our city’s urban renewal, I decided that as an armchair critic there was little I could do, so in 2005 I successfully stood as a councillor for the City of Perth,

[21] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love and was then re-elected in 2009. My focus was to lobby for and support much-needed major projects such as the sinking of the railway line, the cultural centre and Northbridge renewal, the waterfront and riverside projects, and a new Museum in the heart of our city’s cultural centre. In the fragile global economic market in which we exist, it is imperative we invest in cultural and urban environments with all the creative, educational, entertainment, professional, residential, recreational and retail opportunities they present, thus remaining competitive in attracting interstate and international tourists, and overseas students—all major contributors to the Western Australian economy. I have long advocated that a dollar spent in our city is a dollar spent on all Western Australians. Whether it is Forrestfield, Wanneroo or Geraldton one calls home, we all have an opinion on, and lay claim to, our state’s city centre. An investment in our city is an investment for all Western Australians. The 2008 election of the Barnett government marked the beginning of unprecedented investment in major city projects, and the recent re-election of this government is a strong mandate for projects currently under construction and those that will transform Perth into a dynamic, sustainable city. I am thankful to my party for acknowledging the unique significance of our city, and congratulate the Premier and the Minister for Planning, Hon John Day, for their strength and commitment to bold city projects such as Elizabeth Quay and the Northbridge Link. Delivered by the state government and supported by the City of Perth, these projects will revitalise Perth and provide exciting destinations for locals, tourists, city workers and visitors. I am delighted with our government’s decision to build a new Museum in our city’s cultural heartland, and would like to read a comment by Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, who I believe says it all. Mr MacGregor stated — The decision by the Western Australian Government to invest in a new State Museum in Perth is great news not just for Australia, but for the world. Not only is Perth one of the great cities of the Indian Ocean: Western Australia contains some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, one of the World’s oldest settled indigenous civilizations, a richly diverse and rapidly diversifying population and one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet. What a basis for an incredible new museum! I wholeheartedly welcome this news and anticipate its delivery. It was a privilege being a City of Perth councillor, and it was a rewarding role for many reasons, but it was particularly the grassroots relationships I formed that I value most. I chose to serve on many external boards and committees because the fact is, working with the community and seeing the results of a collective effort is what democratic governance is all about. I would like to acknowledge some of the boards and committees on which I have served as either chairperson or committee member. My congratulations to all the members for their outstanding contributions and service to the Perth City Liquor Accord, the Business Improvement Group of Northbridge, the Perth City Link Steering Committee, the Perth Fashion Festival Advisory Board, Tamala Park Regional Council, East Perth Community Safety Group, the Sir Charles Court Memorial Statue Committee, and the Perth City Focus group, to name but a few. Through my role as chair of the Perth City Liquor Accord, I have been privileged to work with the many organisations involved with the responsible service of alcohol, represented by the WA Nightclub Association, the Australian Hotels Association, WA Police, the liquor enforcement unit, the Business Improvement Group of Northbridge and the City of Perth, and we collectively addressed many alcohol-related issues facing our community. I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of all the mentioned groups and their commitment to keeping our entertainment precincts safe and enjoyable environments. Additionally, I thank our police minister, Hon Liza Harvey, for her ongoing interest in, and support of, programs such as the recently launched Ambassador program—an initiative designed to enhance patrons’ experience in Northbridge. For six of my eight years as a City of Perth councillor, I chaired the Marketing, Sponsorship and International Relations Committee, and in doing so developed a strong appreciation and admiration for our state’s major arts and cultural organisations such as Artrage, the Perth International Arts Festival, Awesome Arts, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Blue Room Theatre, the Black Swan State Theatre Company, and many more. Western Australia is a creative and talented state. I am a strong believer in and supporter of the arts and, in particular, our local organisations. The benefits they present to our community are immeasurable. How can one place a dollar value on vibrancy, excitement, liveability and, most importantly in my opinion—opportunity? By this I mean the opportunity for artists to gain real-life experience in their chosen fields. The creative industries can be cutthroat to break into and the more we, as a state, recognise and invest in these industries and organisations, the more opportunity we provide for our homegrown talent to excel in their chosen fields.

[22] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

The Perth electorate is unique in so many ways. It is this uniqueness that I find so appealing and fascinating. We are a smorgasbord of people from all walks of life—retired empty nesters, international or local students, young urban professionals, new Australians and elderly people, to name a few. In campaigning for the seat of Perth, much of my time was spent doorknocking and attending community events. I held community forums in various parts of the electorate. I really enjoyed meeting and speaking to people, both older and younger residents. A tremendous number of people have made the transition to inner city living in East Perth, West Perth and Highgate, and the suburbs of North Perth, Mount Hawthorn and Leederville are awash with young families. It is a common sight to see children riding their bikes or playing in the local parks. With the growing number of young families in the electorate, we see additional pressure placed on our local schools. I have had the pleasure of visiting Mount Hawthorn, North Perth, Kyilla and Highgate Primary Schools and I applaud the outstanding work of the principals, teachers and parents. I place school upgrades in the Perth electorate as one of my primary priorities and look forward to working closely with our Minister for Education, Hon Peter Collier, and our local school communities. [Member’s time extended.] Ms E. EVANGEL: Additionally, the Perth electorate boasts many varied and diverse sporting clubs. They are an integral part of our community-based recreational lifestyle and double as hubs of social activity. Our bowling, tennis, soccer and football clubs and leisure centres play significant roles in our community. Improved bicycle networks and safety and network connectivity is a priority and I am pleased with this government’s $30 million commitment to improved bicycle networks. I encourage the development of end-of-journey facilities. I applaud the City of Vincent for initiating the recent redevelopment of the iconic Beatty Park Leisure Centre, and the state government through the Department of Sport and Recreation for its support of this outstanding community facility. The recently completed $17 million upgrade is stunning and provides a plethora of sport and leisure opportunities. I am also delighted with this government’s $95.14 million redevelopment of nib Stadium, which consists of a redeveloped covered eastern grandstand, complete with new food, beverage and toilet facilities; a 25-seat barbecue terrace; and open corporate boxes with seating for about 420. I congratulate the Premier and our Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon Terry Waldron, for this important commitment. At this stage I would like to say how honoured I am to be the member for Perth and the electorate’s representative. Seeking election to public office can be a daunting experiencing. I must say that it certainly was for me, but it was also an enjoyable experience. Who would have guessed that a cup of coffee with my long-time friend Fay Duda at Bocelli’s Espresso in Forrest Place would see me standing here as the member for Perth, addressing you all tonight? Fay, you never doubted and you always believed. For your support as my friend and the work that you do as the president of Perth division, I sincerely thank you. The campaign journey is one I will value for a lifetime. It was a unique opportunity to bring extended family together, reconnect with old friends, and make wonderful new ones—young and old. What amazes me is the passion, faith and dedication of all involved. To my patron, Senator Mathias Cormann; my duty MLC, Hon Liz Behjat; Hon Michael Mischin; Deputy Premier, Hon Dr Kim Hames; former senator Hon Chris Ellison and former federal member for Perth Mr Ross McLean, who is here tonight, I thank you all for your support. A special acknowledgement to my campaign chair, Peter Dyett, who devoted his time and energy, thank you for your commitment—and congratulations on your marriage to your lovely wife, Arti, just a day after the election. And I thank my amazing team—Lily Chen, Bill Evangel, Margaret Anne Manifis, George Georgiou, Cathy Del Carlo, Keith Yong, Christopher Stafford, Norman Haywood, Jeremy Chitty and the late Albert Di Lallo, who, sadly, passed away just one week prior to the election. “Albert the Great”, as he was fondly known, was an inspirational Western Australian of Italian descent and will be remembered by many for his generosity, hard work and contribution to business and the community. The founding father of the Midland Military Markets and, more recently, the Salon Express franchise, Albert’s commitment to recognising the plight of new migrants and their extraordinary contributions to Western Australia lives on with the Emigrant Monument at Ozone Reserve. Mr Speaker, you may recall one evening at Council House back in 2006, when Albert and his fellow Ambruzzese committee members, proudly presented to us a model of the Emigrant Monument they sought permission to build. He spoke of a monument that would stand tall, as a reminder to all Western Australians of their maiden journey to this great land! From that day forth, Albert committed to the completion of this monument and went on to design a pavilion for the grounds surrounding the monument. A man of great foresight, he formed the Multicultural Association of WA, encouraging communal involvement and ownership of this project.

[23] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

To the Di Lallo family, wife, Jan, and children, Simon, Luisa, Adrian and Lucia, I offer my dearest condolences and thank you for your friendship and support over the years. Simon and Luisa, I thank you for being here tonight. Many people supported my campaign and I hope members will indulge me as I make some further acknowledgements. I particularly thank all my polling booth captains for adding a touch of razzmatazz and keeping up the morale throughout the day. To all my election day volunteers, and to Gemma Whiting and the Young Liberals, it was a long day, yet your enthusiasm never waned. Special thanks to Tom and Helen Galopoulos for ensuring our volunteers were well fed and did not go thirsty. To the Liberal Party state director, Ben Morton, Cam Sinclair, Jocelen Griffiths at Menzies House, Jeremy Buxton, Bevan Marwick, Sean Morrison, Victoria Jackson, Lee Lipari, Natasha Tang, Peter and Jeremy Quinn, Frank Tringas, Archie Duda, Robbie Merritt, Jim Missikas, Neil Harper, Andrew Whitehead and Elizabeth Borrello, thank you all! My sincere thanks to Perth division members of the Liberal Party, who I have not mentioned by name, and also to the Liberal Women’s Council, Curtin division and the 500 Club. To my mother Julia Parissis; brother, Andrew Parissis; and sister, Betty Parissis-Tringas and their families, how can I thank you enough? To my amazing, beautiful family—my husband, Bill, and children, Andria, Christos and Juliet, I am so proud of you all! Your love, support and encouragement are what inspire me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would like to thank my electorate for the honour it has bestowed upon me. I am humbled to be representing this capital city electorate of Perth, an electorate to which I have such strong community, professional and family ties—an electorate I adore! I am looking forward to the next four years, and I give my commitment to work with enthusiasm and passion for my constituency, for all of my community, for my city and for my state. Thank you, Mr Speaker. [Applause.] Sitting suspended from 5.56 to 7.00 pm MR C.D. HATTON (Balcatta) [7.00 pm]: As the new member for Balcatta, I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to address the house today. I begin by congratulating you on your appointment to the highly honourable position of Deputy Speaker in the Legislative Assembly. I also congratulate all those sitting in the chamber today for being representatives of their electorates. I would like to publicly thank the many supporters who have journeyed with me to this point of time in this historic chamber. In particular, I thank my Italian-born wife, Pina, and my four wonderful children—Jacinta, Tamara, Jamie and Chloe—for their ability and willingness to show support, strength and compassion when most needed. You have all been a pillar of strength in sharing my vision of a bright future for the state of Western Australia. To my sister-in-law and dear friend, Mim Agostino, and her husband, Sam, thank you for being a guiding light on many occasions when one’s judgement needed a degree of alignment and some added intellectual input. To my campaign team and helpers, I sincerely appreciate your efforts and belief in me. I give special thanks to Amy Yelash, Lisa Yarwood, Rod Webb, Cam Sinclair, Jocelen Griffiths, Josh Dolgoy and John Franklyn. To Ben Morton at Menzies House, you have been instrumental in this achievement. I certainly intend to honour the role in Parliament that belies me and to work hard for the constituents of the Balcatta electorate. Finally, I must gratefully thank the members of the Stirling division and my parliamentary Liberal colleagues here today who have supported me over the years. I commend Hon Liz Behjat, MLC North Metropolitan, for her passion and engagement with community organisations and cultural groups in and around the Balcatta electorate. She has been a great support and an inspiration to me throughout the election campaign. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am a proud Western Australian who was born in suburban Nedlands. My father, who was also born in Nedlands, in 1926, recently passed away. I pay tribute to him today for being pivotal to the strong values I hold. My mother, who is sitting in the gallery today, was born in country York, being the second oldest of 11 children. I have always been proud knowing that my parents, at the young age of 18, served their country in wartime 1945 in the Royal Australian Air Force. I fondly remember my early years as a young boy enjoying a safe and happy childhood, going to school, playing sport and travelling to York to visit family. My parents worked hard to provide my brother, Phil, my sister, Liz, and I opportunities to advance through schooling and to reach higher pursuits. All three of us entered teaching as a career at different stages. During my career in public schooling, I have taught in the north west in Carnarvon, Exmouth, Shark Bay and inland Gascoyne Junction. I have also taught in London and in a number of Perth metropolitan schools, finishing my career at Glengarry Primary School in Duncraig. Although now I leave teaching after 30 years, the profession remains a part of the Hatton family with my brother and wife currently teaching in Perth public schools.

[24] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Historically and over time the greater Balcatta area has housed a large European population that predominantly originated from post–World War II migration. Market gardening and hard work has very much been the identity of the area. Politically the seat of Balcatta has a quite remarkable history. It was first created in 1904 with several boundary changes occurring over the years. On occasions redistributions have caused Balcatta to be renamed. It was not until 2005 that it again re-emerged to replace the seat of Nollamara. At this point, I would like to acknowledge the good work of the now retired previous member for Balcatta, Mr John Kobelke, who held the seat for a considerable length of time. I wish John all the very best in his retirement. Also at this point, I would like to proudly acknowledge that Balcatta is now a Liberal-held seat, for the first time in over 100 years. Today Balcatta is an inner city northern Perth electorate that comprises the six suburbs of Balcatta, Joondanna, Osborne Park, Stirling, Tuart Hill and most of Hamersley. Although Balcatta is still home to many Europeans, it has now become a true hub of multiculturalism. Balcatta is well located, being relatively close to surrounding shops and services. On a good day—on a good day, I say—Perth is only a 15-minute drive south and the ocean is only 10 minutes west. However, population growth in the area is now demanding greater use of transport and roads are becoming congested. Travel times are certainly changing and it is my intention to address traffic issues with conviction. I am pleased to note that already a number of road improvements are being commissioned. Traffic lights have recently been installed at the junction of Karrinyup Road and Jones Street. Dedicated turn lanes have just been completed on Karrinyup Road and the resurfacing and kerbing of Main Street is near completion. The Cedric Street train station precinct with a new multi–car park facility has been in operation for some time. Road infrastructure projects, although costly, are necessary to improve traffic flow and commuter safety. In the northern part of Balcatta, there is high-level traffic congestion and delay times along Reid Highway, Erindale Road and the Mitchell Freeway overpass. Road users deserve better than the outdated single lanes along Reid Highway. Safety is definitely being compromised at the major intersections of Erindale Road and Mitchell Freeway. The upgrade of Reid Highway is a necessary road infrastructure project that needs to be advanced. I will pursue an outcome for local residents and commuters who use road networks in this area of the electorate. During the election campaign, I visited residential aged-care facilities within the local suburbs. I was fortunate to meet many elderly citizens who displayed great appreciation for the care and compassion that they are being afforded within the provision of aged-care services. I have tremendous respect for the elderly in our society and I respect the humbleness that is often displayed by this generation of great Western Australians. The Balcatta electorate is home to several aged-care facilities and Osborne Park Hospital lies on the western border near Mitchell Freeway. I recently met with the Osborne Park Hospital Community Advisory Council and I wish to remain informed about the services that are available for the medical needs of residents and the broader community. I will look forward to further involvement. I am already pleased to say that a new car park is planned to be built at the hospital site. This will be beneficial to many commuters, staff and patients. The electorate is certainly demographically diverse and there are at times distinct differences in standards of living. Families and individuals live according to their financial constraints. For some residents whom I have met, life is not easy. Within Balcatta there are residents with disabilities and residents who rely upon government assistance to be housed and meet their needs. I intend to be an advocate for these people to improve their quality of life and to make provision for opportunities that may positively influence their lives. It is my goal to assist such people to open a new door to a better pathway. In this area of people’s welfare, I believe that there are excellent social services available, but too often good services are lost within bureaucracy. I intend to, if necessary, peel back some layers of bureaucracy within particular service provisions or departments. Madam Deputy Speaker, I truly understand the Liberal belief that recognises that small businesses, employing more than one-third of all Western Australian workers, are critical to the economic success of this state. We know that business productivity and success is affected by global conditions but an in-touch government such as that of the Liberal Party can greatly improve business confidence in various ways. I look forward to working with a government that will foster entrepreneurial spirit and confidence. I am aware of the impact of excessive taxes, charges and fees, and the impact of processing delays on project developments that can be caused by unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape. Balcatta is very much a home to well-established key business hubs that involve light industry, commerce and retail trade. The east Osborne Park industrial precinct is very identifiable and the northern Balcatta business precinct is centrally located. Over the years I have observed the growth and movement of many businesses, and I realise that there is still more to do to reduce the burden of regulation and red tape. The Stirling Business Association in Delawney Street is a fine example of an organisation that is providing best practice business models to existing and emerging businesses. I congratulate the association on its contribution to enhancing business success and I look forward to continuing my support of the association and local businesses.

[25] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

A very exciting major development is now taking place in the vicinity of the Cedric Street–Mitchell Freeway area. It is called the Stirling city centre alliance project and it is planned to become Perth’s second-largest business district. There are already businesses establishing their premises at the northern gateway to the new business district near Karrinyup Road and Cedric Street. The development of the area is a visionary plan that will encourage people to live where they work and reduce the reliance on private vehicle travelling and parking. The planning of this development will involve commitments from both government and private enterprise, commitments that will provide the best outcomes for present and future generations. Currently, people living in the Balcatta electorate enjoy using the Main Street retail precinct, which also hosts quality restaurants and food outlets; however, local parking issues are of concern and development plans will no doubt need to be adopted in the near future to address transport and parking in the area. There are numerous clubs and sporting associations in Balcatta. Clubs and associations are often the backbone of strong communities, offering social networks and recreational facilities. They work hard to be sustainable and vibrant, and I certainly have a strong desire to foster situations that will enable local clubs to be strong and viable into the future. My four children have all been involved in local clubs and I therefore value the contribution these clubs make to young people’s lives. Madam Deputy Speaker, it is my experience as a resident and representative of Balcatta that people are extremely concerned about repeated hooning and speeding. I will support any Liberal-led initiatives to enforce laws that will catch and detain offenders and their vehicles. It is certainly time to get tough on hoons who disregard the safety of others. I intend to explore the possibility of enacting greater power to restrict not only dangerous drivers from being on the road, but also drivers who deliberately use their vehicles to cause unnecessary noise pollution in residential streets. Home security is a concern of many residents. It is unfair that people I meet, especially the elderly, are disillusioned with elements of society that show disregard for other people’s welfare and property. I support the Liberal-led government plan to introduce mandatory jail sentences for home invaders. I believe in punishment fitting the crime; however, I also believe in restorative practices towards rehabilitation. What is necessary, though, is that the victim of crime is supported and that the justice system administers punishments that will deter potential offenders. I look forward to working with this Liberal government that is committed to protecting people and their property. Madam Deputy Speaker, I leave towards the conclusion of my speech a subject of great importance to everyone, and especially Western Australian parents. I speak now of what I believe to be the greatest positive influence on an individual’s life, that of education. During my 30 years of teaching, I have met wonderful administrators, teachers, parents and students. I have taught children of various ages and embraced changes in curriculum, curriculum delivery and pedagogy. I now reflect upon a career that, I believe, has been increasingly demanding of teachers, and a career that deserves respect. I certainly enter my political life with pride in having been a teacher and having had the opportunity to move children forward in their individual pursuits of endeavour and excellence. Schools, school staff and school communities always need the confidence of government support, and now I look forward to engaging with many schools in a different capacity. It is pleasing to acknowledge here in this chamber today that last year West Balcatta Primary School was awarded the honour of being Western Australian primary school of the year. My wife, who is here today, is a teacher at that school. I am personally able to observe the outstanding commitment to teaching that occurs in that school community. A number of outstanding schools in the electorate have a lot of embedded history, such as Osborne Primary School, which opened in 1903, and Tuart Hill Primary School, which dates back to 1910. Schools should always be well-maintained and well-resourced institutions that offer opportunities for excellence. It is my intention to assist all schools in the Balcatta electorate to be their best in accordance with community expectations and good governance—good Liberal governance. In recent years, the new model of independent public schooling in Western Australia, introduced by the Liberal–National government, has proved highly successful, and various schools within the Balcatta electorate are currently embracing that model. I aim to support the implementation of that model and encourage schools to excel. It is certainly an exciting time in education. In closing, may I reiterate what a great honour and privilege it is to be here today as the representative of Balcatta. I follow my belief in supporting a fundamentally conservative government that is able to facilitate free enterprise and the ability to prosper. I support a government that is a prudent economic manager and a provider of essential services. I also support key infrastructure projects that will enhance the vibrancy of Western Australia, Perth city and its surrounding suburbs. In particular, in my representative role I pledge to seek

[26] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love solutions that will benefit individuals and families. I also look forward to working with my Liberal parliamentary colleagues on making this great state of Western Australia even greater. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. [Applause.] DR G.G. JACOBS (Eyre) [7.19 pm]: Needless to say, this is not my inaugural speech. It is a great privilege to be back in this place. I have God to thank, my constituents, my committee and my wife. I should say congratulations to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, on your appointment. I thank all those people who have given me the privilege and opportunity to be back here today. I also thank the personal supporters who did a lot of work in extracting the last little bit out of the final vote, even on Saturday, 16 March, a week after the election. I must say how privileged and fortunate I am because four days out from 16 March I was 77 votes behind my National Party colleague. Three days out, I was 55 votes down. Two days out, I was 22 votes down. I think a lot of people’s computers were wearing out, so I thank them for their interest. On the Saturday morning before I was due to fly to London, I ended up 125 votes in front, and then we ran out of votes to count. Several members interjected. Dr G.G. JACOBS: As the member for Murray–Wellington said, one vote is a landslide. Thank you very much. I thank my colleagues and the Premier for their understanding, because I did take off to London on 16 March. It was a pre-booked thing, as I needed to share an important moment with my second son who lives in London. I have to say, ladies and gentlemen, I would not change that weather for the weather here. Six degrees was a toasty day in London! My wife and I go jogging, as is our want. We were jogging in Hyde Park with my son, and Kathryn said, “Daniel, what are all those blossoms falling from the sky?” He said, “Mum, there are no blossoms. Everything is deciduous here. Everything is gone. That is snow.” That was an experience for us. In the few minutes that I have, I want to share some of the concerns in my electorate and some of the effort that I will put in over the next four years. May I say how impressed and encouraged I am by the new members who have joined us. There is a great spectrum of interest, skill and professions, and that adds to the wonderful Liberal Party and this state government. So I congratulate them. Yesterday I attended a meeting in Merredin. There were more farmers in one room—in fact, it was the big recreation shed in Merredin, and I hope people will excuse me for calling it a shed — Ms M.J. Davies interjected. Dr G.G. JACOBS: It is a nice recreation centre. There were probably more farmers at that meeting than I saw as a kid when Gough Whitlam came to Forrest Place in the 1970s. At that time, there was an issue and Mr Whitlam addressed a group of about the same number of quite irate farmers and told them that they had never had it so good. Of course, that irritated the farmers very much. They were under severe pressure. In fact, they were the same severe pressures that we see today and that we heard about yesterday. I believe that the member for Central Wheatbelt was at the meeting, as was the upper house member Hon Brian Ellis; Ian Britza, the member for Morley and the member for Moore, and a contingent of members of the House of Representatives and senators from the federal government. Of course, Mr Bob Katter was also there. I tried to decide whether the farmers were there to raise their concerns or whether they came to listen to Bob Katter. I believe that they were there because they had some concerns and have had severe stresses particularly over the last 12 months or so. Leading up to this, there has been significant stress in that there has been crop failure after crop failure particularly in that area, but not so much in my area, as you, Madam Deputy Speaker, would well know, other than in the area of Salmon Gums. Generally, we have been blessed with a good crop. There are significant areas within the wheatbelt where farmers are feeling significantly stressed. When I spoke to Southern Cross farmers during the election campaign, they explained that it had been very difficult to get carry-on finance to buy seed, fertiliser and fuel to put in a crop this year. There are many factors leading to that: obviously crop failure; the issues of some drying climate and some warming climate, as described by experts in the agriculture department at the meeting yesterday; the high Aussie dollar is a disadvantage for export products, particularly farming; increasing costs and interest rates; and falling land values, which in fact threaten their ability and drives the debt–equity ratio into a situation in which farmers find it more and more difficult to gain finance to put in another crop. A study of farmers in need done by the Western Australian Farmers Federation suggested that 500 farmers each need in the vicinity of $200 000 to refinance to put in their seeding program for this year. Time is of the essence, of course. I have shared with my colleagues and the Premier and the Minister for Agriculture and Food that we cannot give farmers a handout but we can give them a hand up. What nature does this hand up take? I am sure that the minister and the Premier, who were out in the regions last week and the week before listening to farmers and their concerns, are working on some sort of assistance package, but I

[27] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love particularly want to concentrate on seasonal refinancing. This is a very difficult area because there are some issues in and around the fact that we do not want to encourage farmers who are in a difficult situation to get into an even more difficult situation, but it is important to recognise that there are many good farmers who, through no fault of their own, have been caught in this situation. Hopefully, that will turn around. They are food producers and they are important to this country in the bigger picture. So this is about looking at the refinancing arrangements and to put that in terms of this being not a grant, not a handout, but in fact a loan and that there are strict eligibility criteria on those loans to give farmers some finance credit so they can finance next season’s crop. The economic rationalists will say that if they cannot get money from the commercial banking sector, then they are probably finished or they do not have a future. They might ask why should government provide moneys or, should I say, provide credit when they cannot achieve that in the commercial banking sector. I think there is one response to that that is really very important. There are many good managers out there and there are many good farmers out there, but because of falling land values, the frequency of bad seasons, the difficulties in the export market and the concentration of banks, particularly in the housing area, and the jitters that they perhaps may have in that area, Western Australians have been perhaps a little bit protected from a severe recession because we are a fairly fortunate mining state. The banks have certainly tightened up. It is important to look at those debt equity issues and not necessarily see them as basket cases but as worthy of promotion, and proffering some credit in order to finance this situation. I will be encouraging the house and anybody who will listen to look at this industry as one that needs support. There is potential for this situation to change. While I was staying in London, we made a trip to the west of Scotland. We stayed in a B&B on the Isle of Skye. When I was talking to the people who were running the B&B, the lady there was absolutely astounded that we do not subsidise our farmers. We had a discussion that went on for about half an hour about why we would not subsidise or support our farmers. I said something economically rationalist like, “Well, if you’re indulging in a pursuit that produces something that can’t stand up in the global market and you have no comparative advantage in producing that product, you probably shouldn’t be producing it.” Generally, that is true. That is the difference between a handout and a hand up. I am suggesting to the house that proffering some credit on a three-year term to be paid back when the situation improves, as it will, is a hand up, not a handout and it is the least we can do. I encourage my National Party colleagues, the ones who gave me such a run for my money in order to get to this very place, to not be silent on the use of royalties for regions. I believe a royalties for regions program is a state government program but it should be considered in proffering some of this credit to farmers. It is important. There are community centres, community gardens and all sorts of things we can do in communities but this is where the rubber hits the road and this is an important way of using some of those moneys to support these farmers. There are probably only one or two good crops. A member of my committee said he had a reasonable year this year. I said, “Okay, Tom, how did it go?” He said he put 11 500 tonnes of wheat in the bin. He had a smile from ear to ear. Wheat is worth $300 a tonne on the market. I ask members to do their own maths. It might have cost $1 million to put the crop in but it is still a fair margin. These farmers need that sort of break. Mr P.B. Watson: Member, what about the small businesses in the town? No-one talks about them. Dr G.G. JACOBS: I suppose that is the other argument. Where are we going to stop as we help people who own a local agency, be it an agency selling merchandise, a small business or a small shop? Almost invariably, if the farmers in my community are doing well, the businesses are doing well. When I walk into Holden, Murray West Ford, Bay Holden, John Deere, the local store or whatever it is, if the farmers have money, the businesses are doing well. So yes, I understand that in areas where agriculture is pivotal to a community, they are worth a break. As I said, it is not a grant, it is not a giveaway, it is not a subsidy, it is not an ongoing thing, but it is proffering some credit to lubricate the wheels so that farmers can get over this sticky time. [Member’s time extended.] Dr G.G. JACOBS: Madam Deputy Speaker — Mr D.A. Templeman: I like how they put you amongst the National Party! Who is in charge of the seating arrangements in the Parliament? Dr G.G. JACOBS: You’ve got a point, actually! I can only assume it in one of two ways: insensitivity or a sense of humour; but no matter, I am here! Mr D.A. Templeman: We’re glad you’re here! Dr G.G. JACOBS: And I’m glad you’re here! When I first got into this place and sat over there somewhere as a minister—as I have said, it was not a starring role but it was probably a workmanlike job—I struggled. I think it was Richard Court who told me, “I’ve got this little tract in my wallet which has four things on it. When you’re over here and you’ve got to answer a question from over there, you remember four things. One is you are happy to be here. Number two, and I’m happy you’re

[28] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love here. Number three, I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know. Four, I know it sounds trite, I care.” He told me to stick to that. He said if I am not happy I am here, it will show; others will see it. Anyway, I digress. I will tell members about another stressor in my community—there are heaps. I could talk a lot, but I will not because I will be beaten by the clock. One is medical services and doctors in country areas. Again, I will share a London experience with members. An agent rang me at my medical practice. A few weeks a year I practise medicine. I run a medical practice with my practice manager. I do not turn up; I have doctors who turn up. In fact it is always a challenge. Even in a coastal area like Esperance—a beautiful place with lovely beaches—it is still a challenge to get doctors. An agent rang me and said that he had a doctor from an inner-city practice in London who was interested in coming to Western Australia and interested in coming to Esperance. I think there are a few ingredients that are very important in attracting and retaining doctors. One is the personal approach. As it turned out, I was going to London. After ringing this guy, we met in a café in inner London. He said to me, “This place is a basket case. Financially, I cannot see any future in the NHS. There is no incentivisation in medicine.” That means it does not matter how hard you work, you are not rewarded. You are paid on a maintenance basis, if members will excuse the expression. There is a cohort of patients, and doctors are paid so much each year to look after them whether they come and see a doctor or not. There is a big emphasis on preventive medicine because if people remain well, doctors do not have to see them—doctors are paid to look after patients who are not sick. That is all very good. It is all great in theory, but in fact there is no incentivisation. He said to me, “I don’t see any future in the NHS. There’s certainly no incentivisation in the NHS. I want a change.” He was the principal of this inner-city London practice. I said, “How many of your colleagues feel like you do?” He said, “Quite a few, and they’re watching me to see how I go. But I want to come out to your practice for 12 months. I’ve asked them to give me 12 months’ leave. I’ll leave my equity”—“equity” is the word—“in the practice and I’ll come out to WA, and I’ll come to Esperance and practise in your practice for 12 months and I’ll see how I like it.” What is really important is to ensure that he does like it, and it really is important that he does come and have a look, that he has a good experience and that he tells his colleagues that he is having a good experience and that the harder he works, the more money he makes. We might say that that sounds mercenary, but money makes the world go around, and it is about incentivisation. As I have said before—again, it sounds mercenary— if we pay doctors well to go to regional areas and the practice is incentivised, so that the harder they work the more they are paid, it will allow them to make lifestyle decisions and other decisions about where they take their family on a holiday. Can the doctor pay a locum $1 000 a day—yes, $1 000 a day—so the locum can look after the doctor’s practice while he goes away? The doctor can make decisions about his children’s education and he can afford to send his children away to schools of his choice. It is about allowing doctors to have adequate remuneration so that they can make these life decisions about their holidays, their time off and the education of their children et cetera. It is important to recognise the Rural Clinical School of WA program. Now in Western Australia, a medical student in his or her fifth year spends the whole time in regional Western Australia. The cohort started off with 25 per cent of the number of students. That is increasing. In fact, the demand is increasing, because more young men and women want to come to regional WA to experience this fifth year. When they are in the town for that whole year, we work on them very hard. We make sure their experience is good. We allow them to go surfing; we allow them to participate in sport. We encourage them to have a good experience so that they will come back, and that is starting to happen now in our practice and other practices. After those young men and women graduate, they are starting to go back to those areas where they had the experience, so that Rural Clinical School program is starting to get traction. Therefore, I think that is a very important part of the medical workforce issues. I want to finish with a couple of issues. One is the wild dog issue, particularly in my region. These wild dogs have obviously ravaged the pastoral industry already. You, Madam Deputy Speaker, would know this better than I. However, we are trying to protect the agricultural region of Esperance, Cascade, Condingup, Beaumont, Jerdacuttup and Ravensthorpe from the incursions of wild dogs from the north into our agricultural region. They have already ravaged and decimated the sheep industry in the pastoral region. Another project may reinvigorate some of the sheep industry in the pastoral region in and around Kalgoorlie, but that is another story. The state barrier fence is the one that has been upgraded from Kalbarri essentially to Ravensthorpe–Jerdacuttup. Now there is a plan to make an easement and to extend the fence 500 to 600 kilometres in an east–west direction, protecting the lower agricultural region, with an eastern cut-off in and around the Cape Arid National Park down to the waterfront. A lot of stuff is happening—as Madam Deputy Speaker, particularly, would know due to our email traffic—around the “Stop and Rethink the Fence” campaign. It will be the most terrible thing and it will affect the biodiversity, the migration of animals, and animals will get stuck in the fence; it is a terrible threat to biodiversity and the general wildlife in and around the area. Mr V.A. Catania interjected.

[29] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Dr G.G. JACOBS: Absolutely, member for North West Central. I have actually said something really pragmatic like, “If you don’t have a fence not only will the wild dogs come down, not only will kangaroos come down, not only will the emus come down, but if they step on pastoral land there is one thing that will really threaten them”; that is, someone will try to trap them, bait them or shoot them. So why not create a barrier for these animals to stay the bush side of the barrier, so they can have their little playground in the bush and we can protect our pastoral region? It is very important. We almost have the easements done but there is an issue about the cut-off at the east end of that fence; I have spoken to the Minister for Agriculture and Food and he has agreed to come down and have a look at that issue. That is really the only sticking point at the moment. I think it is really important that that happen, so that we can protect our agricultural industry. To finish, I will talk about the stressors in some of the legislation. I often say that this Liberal state government is about getting out of the way of private industry and private proponents and cutting red tape and cutting all the rubbish so that they can actually get on with their principal core business and do what they do best. I have to say to members that there is some environmental legislation that is getting in the way of, and indeed entrapping, some landholders in my region. One issue, just by way of example, is the regrowth legislation. If we look at the environmental legislation around regrowth, it suggests that inside somebody’s fence, on their freehold land, if they have a bush or anything that regrows, if it is left for fewer than 10 years they can clear it, but if they leave it more than 10 years they cannot clear it and they have to go through a permit process and it has to be looked at. If somebody does clear it, they can be in breach of the legislation. That has caught a lot of my farmers out. I approached the former minister—I will be approaching the new minister—about a review of that legislation. Facets of that legislation need review because they are entrapping farmers; they are not commonsense and do not recognise offsets. We really need to have a commonsense look at that legislation and get out of the way of these people who are trying to do core business and produce food for our country. Thank you. MR D.C. NALDER (Alfred Cove) [7.49 pm]: Madam Deputy Speaker, I add my congratulations on your election as Deputy Speaker and wish you every success in the role. Premier, fellow members of the Legislative Assembly and Council and family and friends in the gallery, I stand with great pride and humility in this house as the member for Alfred Cove. I have the privilege to stand before you because of the trust and hard work of so many people, and the support of my local community. I come to this place to represent the interests of people who live in Alfred Cove, Applecross, Ardross, Attadale, Bicton, Booragoon, Melville and Mount Pleasant. My family and I have made our home for many years in the area I now represent. My children spent their primary school years at Applecross Primary School and went to high school in nearby South Perth and Bull Creek. Our weekends are spent catching up with family and friends and keeping up with my children’s many pursuits and their stream of friends who always seem to end up back at our place. The country and community feel of my Wagin childhood is well and truly alive in the electorate of Alfred Cove. Alfred Cove is characterised by natural beauty, demographic diversity and a thriving local economy. We are also an active community. Service clubs, religious organisations and community groups are passionately committed to helping others. The breadth and number of grassroots organisations is one of Alfred Cove’s greatest strengths. These groups are inspired and founded not by the hands of government but by the people themselves. This spirit sees many doing so much for others and it is enormously satisfying to work with the people of my community every day. No-one comes to this Parliament without the support and foundation of those around them. Importantly, I come here as a proud member of the Liberal Party whose values of hard work, smaller government and individual enterprise I share and promote. I pay tribute to my family, to my mother, Janice, and my late father, Cambell, to my loving wife, Colette, and my three wonderful children, Cambell, Alette and Christopher. Your support, along with my faith in God, provides the balance and strength in my life. This is a shared journey and I would not be here without you. In this place I follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, Sir Crawford, and my father, Cambell. I am the third generation representing the needs and wishes of the local community. While my grandfather and father represented rural districts and mine is suburban, my memories of growing up on a farm, putting in and harvesting crops, along with the noise and smell of the shearing shed, are still vivid and strong in my mind and reflect who I am and where I have come from. The important issues of all Western Australians, such as law and order and health and education, will connect the work I do with the work of those who came before me in this place. To my friends and family in the gallery, and to my campaign team, thank you for your friendship and for sharing your wisdom over so many years. Through countless hours of hard work and sheer determination, you secured my election, person by person, vote by vote.

[30] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

For many years I have been called by the opportunity to represent the community that has contributed so much to my life and the lives of my family. While I found much satisfaction in the corporate world, I am privileged to head in this new direction where I am sure the challenges will be even greater and the reward of helping others in Alfred Cove more fulfilling. The chance to develop ideas and policies for the betterment of all Western Australians is a challenge I am also eager to accept. I look forward to contributing to the development and implementation of government policy that promotes prosperity here in Western Australia and therefore across our nation. It is now my job to make more perfect what is already one of the best places in the world to live. Prudent government has the responsibility to not only govern for the day but also lay the foundations for the future. Demands of a state bristling with activity means government is seldom afforded the opportunity to stop and reflect, assess and critique and to look beyond the current cycle with an eye to developing policies for decades to come. Policies that work across cycles and across party lines will be the ultimate success for Western Australia. We all share a number of goals for our government—steady economic growth and prosperity, low inflation and low unemployment, law and order, first-class health and education, opportunities for everyone to succeed to their potential, and respect for individual freedom. Achieve this and we have good government. A bold vision with longer range planning to adequately address the needs and wants of Western Australia with careful consideration of where we want our state to be in a decade, in 20 years and perhaps even half a century down the track—take this approach and we have best government. Our state is moving at lightning pace, driven greatly by mineral wealth, which is playing foundation to the national economy. It is important that this government leverage the benefits of the situation we find ourselves in to ensure our state enters the next decades in even better shape than we are today. Our vision for this state must not come at the expense of our fundamental philosophies of lower tax, of leaving businesses with more of their own money and of not burdening future generations with debt to fund expedient policies today. While focusing on our strengths we must also be aware of those parts of the economy that are not doing as well, such as farming, tourism and many small retail businesses. Security of supply for food, energy, water and finance are challenges being faced the world over and we must ensure continuity of supply in our state for generations to come. But this is not a call for greater government intervention. We need to get away from the idea that big government makes our lives better. I believe that one of the most important things a government can do is understand its own limitations. I come to this place as a Liberal member because I stand firmly by the guiding beliefs of our party. Most importantly we say that wherever possible, governments should not compete with an efficient private sector. Businesses and individuals, not government, are the true creators of wealth and employment. When a government decides to step in and legislate, we must consider every consequence of our actions and stop and think about whether we should act at all. As members of Parliament, we should always ask ourselves: is this something that needs to be done by government or are we simply contributing to government growth and doing something the private or not-for-profit sector could do better? My business experience reinforces that excessive regulation creates unnecessary bureaucracy, stifles innovation, restricts decision-making ability and ultimately hinders growth and prosperity. Let us leave people to run their own lives and let government do only what individuals cannot. I stand for focused government, not big government. I stand for government that opts for the future and faces the hard decisions. I stand for government that backs families with real policies and not just platitudes. I stand for government that is streamlined and effective. For 18 years in the banking industry I was compelled to focus on the efficient and effective allocation of resources. We spent time analysing productivity and looking for new opportunities and innovative ways of doing things that lead to best practice. My corporate experience taught me that to lead incremental improvement it was my responsibility to provide an environment that engaged staff in a shared vision in what our team needed to achieve together. It was my responsibility to provide an environment so all of us could be the best we could be, to enjoy and gain satisfaction from our work and to work towards the greatest success we could achieve. It was my responsibility to restrict the growth of unproductive resources and bureaucratic processes in the head office to allow the staff dealing directly with the customer the opportunity to get on and do what they do best—provide competent value-for-money service. Should we not apply this same approach to government? As members of Parliament, it is our responsibility to utilise the resources bestowed on us by the taxpayer in the most efficient and effective ways possible. This discussion is not about just saving money; it is about driving best practice to free up capital otherwise lost to bureaucracy and red tape and to invest in the future of our state and ultimately get a better outcome for the community. Our state is currently operating at full capacity and supporting the entire Australian economy with growth, jobs and investment that is critical for the federal budget. Western Australia has just 11 per cent of our nation’s population but produces 16 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product and 46 per cent of the nation’s

[31] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love exports. Given this federal responsibility, our relatively small population and large geography, efficiency is an imperative for Western Australia to maintain the high quality of life and opportunities for everyone to succeed to their potential. I was surprised when taking an executive role in the federal public sector that a number of head office staff of my new employer were classified as “unallocated”. This meant they had no specific role. Many of them had been in this position for a number of years. These employees were not happy. They were not challenged or valued and did not feel they could add value to the business. At the same time I witnessed staff at the front line—those charged with delivering the service to the community—under pressure to work quickly to meet demand, forced to complete unnecessary paperwork to legitimise the job of head office bureaucrats. We need to make sure limited resources are being allocated to where they are really needed. Should we not be reviewing the mix of frontline versus central office staff across all departments to ensure we have found the optimum allocation of our people capital to best meet the needs of the community? Being the best we can be is an ethos that we strive to instil in our children. Is this not a standard that should apply to the provision of government services? As a Western Australian, I want government services that strive to be the best they can be, and for the benefit of all, not just a few. Placing sole power into a central government in Canberra will not guarantee this greater efficiency nor the correct allocation of resources to meet the needs of local communities. The balance between state and federal governments is extremely important to protect the interests of all Australians, and I believe that a great part of the bipartisan work of this Parliament will be to negotiate a new and fairer relationship with our federal government. We must set out an agenda for our aspirations in this Federation that resonates with our community and is a catalyst for change to the status quo. I would like to acknowledge the work of our Premier, the former Treasurer and the Treasurer in taking on this challenge for Western Australians. The zero–sum game of goods and services tax redistribution is simply pitting Premier against Premier as they are forced to fight for their states; and this is not a discussion of parochial self-interest but of the underlying structural problems of the current system. A healthy federal system must balance fiscal equalisation with fiscal autonomy so that our state has sufficient revenue to meet our constitutional responsibilities. For it to work, we need a federal government that supports state initiatives, facilitates cooperation among states and encourages innovation and best practice. The method and logic by which GST payments are allocated by Canberra to the states is not allowing this. This year WA’s share of GST revenue will fall well below 50c in the dollar, leaving WA with the lowest share of GST of any state—ever. Over the decades since Canberra assumed the exclusive power to levy income taxes we have seen glimpses of cooperation, including the creation of the Council of Australian Governments in 1992; and the ebbs and flows of mining booms and the global financial crisis have seen Western Australia’s relationship with our capital strengthen and strain. But federalism in its current form is starting to lose its lustre. For problems large and small, bureaucratic solutions always seem to be the default option. With bureaucracy, partisan politics soon gets in the way and funding can be directed for political gain, as opposed to apolitical, fair and equitable reasons. Limited resources are channelled from productive regions such as Western Australia and redistributed to areas in decline. This redistribution from high to low areas of return encourages consumption over investment and discourages competition and innovation; it crowds out a capable private sector, impeding its ability to create jobs; it allows a culture of dependence to develop; and the net effect is a less productive nation. I understand that since Federation, many social, economic, environmental and cultural challenges have presented new problems demanding solutions, some of which have been provided by governments. But I am sure our founding fathers did not intend, with change and the broad interpretation of commonwealth powers by the High Court of Australia, that the federal government would so consciously intrude on areas intended for state responsibility. It is essential that Western Australia has the resources to invest in infrastructure that will allow it to continue to grow and to provide prosperity for all Australians. The current vertical fiscal imbalance is not just bad for this state government, but also bad for equity in our taxation system, bad for competition and bad for innovation. Further cooperation between state and federal governments will be the key to a better outcome. We must work together to develop a national approach on infrastructure requirements across Australia. We must frame this discussion in terms of sustainable national economic policy for the next 50 to 100 years, and we must be making decisions now. To do all of this, we as elected representatives must remain close to the people, must remain focused on local issues and must implement regional policies. I wish to touch on some of the matters that will shape my work as the representative for Alfred Cove. There are now more than 1.9 million cars on WA roads—a growth of 18 per cent over the last five years alone. A $450 million expansion of Garden City shopping centre will see an increase of two million visitors per annum.

[32] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Based on current statistics, 99 per cent will visit by car. When Fiona Stanley Hospital comes online, the Murdoch area will host up to 115 000 visitors daily. Add to this the Canning Bridge redevelopment, and soon Alfred Cove and neighbouring electorates will be one of the busiest regions in Perth. Development is a great vote of confidence in our local area that brings jobs and prosperity. However, a consideration of how we move people into, out of and around our local area must be a top priority. Public transport is going to be the key to the success of our region and it must be a real alternative to the car. It is simply not acceptable that bus commuters, who have chosen to make the change, are caught in peak-hour traffic jams on Canning Highway as they are today. A fresh approach is needed. I would like to see an investigation of a secondary level interchange at the key developments about which I have just spoken that provide direct public transport access into these important centres of business and recreation, and connections between them via rapid transport links. I want public transport to be fully integrated into all future growth. I look forward to continuing my work with the Minister for Transport. When it comes to law and order, I am concerned that local residents, business owners and particularly seniors still feel uncertain about community safety. I believe everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home and to feel safe walking the streets of their local community. The Minister for Police’s community forum in Alfred Cove gave residents a direct line to the government. Much has been done, but I commit to doing more in this area to ensure Alfred Cove continues to be a safe and enjoyable place to live. For our younger generations, it is my desire that all students have the very best schooling opportunities we can give them. Our schools perform well by international standards, but there is always more to be done and we must promote excellence to enable all students to reach their potential. Our schools should be the ultimate hand-up in that it does not matter where you start or where you live; rather, it is what happens in the classroom that counts. I would like to see the day when a greater share of government funding goes to the front line so that schools in my electorate, such as Applecross Primary, do not have to choose between an arts teacher or a physical education teacher because both can be afforded. It should have both so it can provide our kids with the best possible start to life. I want to be a part of creating opportunity for Western Australians in not only Alfred Cove, but also right across the great state of Western Australia. As elected members we have a responsibility to dream large, but when government does act it must be only to maximise choice and opportunity. I want to see a Western Australia in which individuals and communities, not governments, invent the future. That is why I am a Liberal, why I joined the Liberal Party and why I am here today. Under the strong leadership of our Premier our fortunes have turned and we now have many more members on our side of the house. That is no accident. It is a tribute to the Premier’s discipline and leadership, to the strength of our party’s message and to the people’s confidence in our team’s ability to deliver. We must now return that faith. I want to put my knowledge and experience, both personal and corporate, to the best use I can. I want not only to be a great representative for the families and businesses in Alfred Cove, but also to make a great contribution to the state of Western Australia. I am here to represent all the people of Alfred Cove, whatever their beliefs or political philosophy might be. I say as their member in this place, I will represent the people of Alfred Cove with humility, decency and all the ability I have to offer. [Applause.] MR S.K. L’ESTRANGE (Churchlands) [8.08 pm]: First, I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your re-election as the member for Mount Lawley and on your election to the position of Chair of this house. I congratulate my Liberal Party colleagues and all members of this house on their election success. For me the 2013 election was an endorsement of the achievements and vision of the Liberal Party of Western Australia under the leadership of our Premier, Hon Colin Barnett, MLA, and I congratulate you, Premier, on this result. It is with a great sense of duty that I stand before you today. I enter the chamber as the first Liberal to be elected to the seat of Churchlands since its inception in 1996. The seat of Churchlands was renamed from the seat of Floreat that existed from 1968 to 1996 and the only Liberal to represent the former electorate of Floreat was Andrew Mensaros who contested the seat at the 1968 election—the year after I was born—and who held the seat until 1991. I replace the retired Independent member of Parliament Dr Elizabeth Constable who held the seat under both names from 1991 to 2013. By way of an anecdote of history, I am the first Western Australian–born member to represent the people of my electorate. I will take this opportunity to thank a number of people. I thank the people of Churchlands for electing me to represent their interests and the Liberal Party of Western Australia for providing me with this opportunity. As everybody in this house knows, elections are reliant upon a number of volunteers and supporters. I am most grateful for the large number of people who assisted me throughout my election campaign and in particular I would like to thank my campaign chair, Mrs Sandra Brewer, and my campaign head of finance, Mr Ian Warner,

[33] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love plus my campaign committee members Ben Allen, Jocelyn Griffiths, Daryl Pranata, David Straface, Peter Moore, Ann Patrick, Terry Mader, Pauline O’Connor, Julie Barrett, Sarah Panizza, Whittney Jago, Tom White, Brett Miller and Gemma Whiting. In addition, I would like to thank the existing members of this Parliament who provided support and guidance, with a particular vote of thanks to the Premier, Hon Colin Barnett, MLA; the Treasurer, Minister for Transport and Fisheries, Hon Troy Buswell, MLA; and the Minister for Education, Aboriginal Affairs, Electoral Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Hon Peter Collier, MLC. Thank you to my family, some of whom are here today, including my dad Gordon L’Estrange, sister Louise Robinson and my aunt, Catherine Morgan, and a number of other family members, close friends, supporters and colleagues. I pay particular tribute to two very important women in my life: my mum Marjorie who died from cancer when I was 21 and whose spirit lives on in those who loved her and my wife, Alyson, who is a great sense of love and support to me, evidenced most recently while I was on the campaign trail when she picked up much of my share of caring for our young boys, James and William, while at the same time holding down a professional job in the city. I also extend my gratitude to the Clerk of the House and the parliamentary staff on making me feel most welcome and for assisting me to settle in to my new role. Mr Speaker, I will now take this opportunity to highlight some of the policy challenges that relate to the electorate of Churchlands, which have a broader application for Western Australia. I will then provide you with a synopsis of my background and present a core set of values that underpin my philosophy for parliamentary service. The Churchlands electorate has the beautiful expanse of City Beach and Floreat Beach as its western boundary and its eastern boundary is the busy Mitchell Freeway. The electorate comprises all or parts of the suburbs of City Beach, Churchlands, Floreat, Glendalough, Mt Claremont, Wembley, Wembley Downs, West Leederville and Woodlands. It takes in Bold Park, Perry Lakes, Herdsman Lake and Jackadder Lake. It is home to the very popular Wembley public golf course and to some of our city’s best schools, such as Churchlands Senior High School, Hale School and Newman College. The 2011 census identified 38 per cent of the electorate’s residents as coming from professional backgrounds. By way of an example, the suburb of Churchlands itself has 37.9 per cent of the population recorded as fully owning their own home. Whilst these are enviable economic indicators, they do mask a set of unique challenges that mirror the changing demographic of many of our inner city suburbs and are cause for close planning attention. The ageing population of the electorate, as with other parts of Western Australia, will continue to put increased pressure on the need to provide local medical and health support, plus easier access to public transport, shopping and service providers. The fixed incomes of many retirees will make them more vulnerable to macro-economic challenges such as rising inflation and their reduced level of economic engagement may put pressure on state fiscal policy. In turn, the gradual buying up of old homes by younger families, coupled with subdivision of land, is increasing student numbers at some local schools, which is putting pressure on dated infrastructure and has increased local road use. The increased local road use is further exacerbated by heavy trucks originating from Fremantle that pass through the electorate to link up with the Mitchell Freeway, which adds to congestion and encourages suburban rat runs. The net result is that previously quiet suburban streets become busy networks. Notwithstanding the above, Churchlands is a beautiful part of Western Australia and it has the potential to be a shining example of how to carefully balance the preservation of its parks, lakes and beaches with efficient road use and broad-based housing options supported by the requisite schools, services, recreation spots, shopping areas and business precincts. My vision for Churchlands aligns with my vision for Western Australia, which is for it to be the best place in the world to raise a family, to work, to run a business, to play and to retire. I join this Parliament at 45 years of age with a diverse background—old enough to have some life experience and young enough, I hope, to offer a lasting contribution. I am first and foremost a dad, sharing the joys and challenges of raising two young boys with my wife, Alyson. For the past seven years I established and ran a successful leadership and performance improvement consulting business and I thoroughly enjoyed working with large resources sector companies, city and regional businesses, and government departments, helping them in a variety of ways such as writing strategic plans, improving business resilience and enhancing leadership systems and performance. Throughout my professional and business career I have also served our country as an infantry Army officer in both the Army Reserve and on continuous full-time service with the Regular Army. Career highlights included reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel; commanding a reserve infantry regiment that trained and deployed soldiers for the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands; preparing and deploying troops for national security tasks; and myself deploying to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force where I was the Australian task force commander’s operations analyst to Uruzgan province and posted in direct support of the Australian battle group led by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. Prior to my business and senior Army officer experience I also had a highly rewarding career as a senior school economics teacher, head of an academic department, middle school leader and leader of school-based youth development programs. I worked in schools such as

[34] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Christ Church Grammar School, Ursula Frayne and Mandurah Catholic Colleges and Wesley College. All of my working life to date has involved working with others to set and achieve high standards with a mission focus, to solve problems and improve efficiencies, and to help individuals and teams to reach their potential. I see my entrance into this great Parliament of ours as an extension of this work on the behalf of the people of Churchlands and in the service of Western Australia. Each of us has unique and interesting skills, attributes and experiences that we bring to this house and I believe we are here today because we believe in what Western Australia can be. In the midst of an uncertain global economy we believe in the ability for Western Australia to be able to stand as a beacon of economic hope and prosperity. For many in this chamber we are aggrieved at the mire of a dysfunctional federal Labor government that continues to seek to overtax our prosperous industries, rob us of our fair share of GST revenue and punish us with east coast–centric policies that are divisive to the fabric of federalism itself. We are aggrieved because we believe in our ability to stand up for our Western Australian state rights plus, closer to home, in many parts of our community where we must confront a breakdown of social values that brings crime and despair closer to home, we believe in strong leadership and the rule of law. We believe in these things because they are underpinned by a core set of values—values we can all embrace such as liberty, the family, personal and community responsibility, individual dignity, free enterprise and small business. These values are evidenced in Liberal Party philosophy and I will now expand on these values because they are both entwined in my own personal history and they will continue to serve as a guide for my parliamentary service. For many of us present in the house, we value liberty because liberalism is the enemy of privilege, sectional interests and narrow prejudice. It is this value that drove my decision to one day enter politics. In my early 20s I left home to see the world and I had the privilege of teaching in an inner city London high school situated in a low socioeconomic area, a multicultural hotspot where many just wanted a fair go. Juxtapose this experience with time spent serving on a commonwealth attachment to one of the finest army regiments in England, where a number of my fellow officers had been schooled at places like Harrow and Eton. Whilst I was very well looked after, the lesson gained was that I observed the institutional barriers of a class system, perpetuated in the type of school you went to or the family you were born into. It made me value that in our country, Australia, what we had was different. Here, institutional barriers such as this do not exist. Here you can be the son of a post–World War II politically displaced migrant, like me, and make a go of life on equal terms with anybody else. We must value the importance of family because the family is the fundamental institution for the raising and nurturing of children and for making each individual an integral part of society. I would not have committed myself to serve in this Parliament if I did not have the motivation, like you, to want to make a positive difference to Western Australia for our children and for all our future generations. We value personal and community responsibility because we rightly expect people to live in a civil and respectful manner while contributing positively to the communities in which they belong. We value community service because a highly functioning community is reliant upon voluntary participation in the institutions of a civil society. To support these values, we know that we need to support families in their quest to raise their children to be good citizens and that this support extends to delivering a highly effective education system, which both expands each child’s intellectual horizon and instils a strong sense of civic duty, volunteerism and an appreciation for community standards. To ensure that we are successful, we must continue to improve the education system in Western Australia so that all schools are empowered, resourced and encouraged to offer a holistic approach to education. However, we must do this without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We must aim to be the best in the world with regard to the teaching and learning of the functional skills of literacy and numeracy, along with the physical and social sciences and information–communication technology. But we must also build a strong sense of self-worth in each child, linked to their unique aptitude and abilities in areas such as spatial awareness, interpersonal skills, self-reflection, nature, spirituality, sport, art, music and drama. I was fortunate to have been educated at one of Perth’s finest schools, Aquinas College, a school of immense pride and tradition where, through the commitment of a highly dedicated staff, I was able to pursue non- academic interests that shaped my character. I had coaches like Misters Dale, Campbell, Doney and Cox who pushed me on the track and in the pool; Misters Bradstreet and Stanley who led by example on the cadet bivouacs; Ms Hammond’s passion in the drama and debating hall; and Brother Dally, Brother Paull and Mr Daniel, who shaped my early spirituality and leadership; plus, of course, those great classroom teachers who could connect with their students and motivate a love of learning such as Misters Tonkin, Lowrey, and Wray. I reflect on these people because, for me, they were key enablers to what a school experience should be—one of multiple opportunities to express yourself, to build confidence, to learn and to grow. We believe in individual dignity because freedom can be meaningful only if individuals have the opportunity to participate, to achieve and to develop their talents. My life journey was heavily influenced by a band of women

[35] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love who espoused the values of individual dignity and who were integral to the development of my character. These were, of course, my mother and grandmothers. All three were headstrong, independent women of high intellect and strong personal drive who were devoted to their children and grandchildren. But, like many women of their era, they faced barriers, barriers which made it difficult for them to pursue a career while raising a family. My mother overcame this barrier by establishing with my father a family business. My grandmothers took on community leadership roles and nurtured in me a strong sense of duty in community service. I remember as a boy joining one of my grandmothers on her Association for the Blind visits and joining my other grandmother during her rounds of meals on wheels. These were valuable lessons. It is fantastic that we as a society have progressed to a point at which many of the managing directors, managers, senior defence force officers and school principals I have worked with are women. I am proud of the fact that my wife, Alyson, a University of Western Australia commerce graduate, a former chartered accountant and now a principal strategic information technology change consultant for a large global corporation, has the dignity of being recognised for her professional skills and that she chooses to balance this so that we are able to share the responsibility of raising our sons, James and William. In short, Alyson is an example of the modern Australian professional woman. Nevertheless, I know from Alyson’s experience that we, as members of Parliament, must continue to work hard to identify and remove any further institutional barriers that hold women back from being able to reach the highest echelons of their chosen path while also being able to remain central to their family unit. We value free enterprise and small business because we do not trust big governments and big unions to effectively manage the economic factors of production. Like many members here today, I worked in a family enterprise. [Member’s time extended.] Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: My parents mortgaged the family home to build and operate two of the first indoor learn-to-swim businesses in Western Australia. Through this I learnt what it means to run a family business. I worked in the business as a swimming instructor and I helped my parents with repairs and maintenance. I learned from my mother, who did the banking, paid and managed the staff and ran the office, and from my father, who, as a professional coach, would head off to work at 5.00 am six days a week. I gained an awareness of how hard both my parents worked and the sacrifices they made. The 1970s and 1980s were economically tough, with boom-and-bust economic cycles impacting on the family budget, and this provided me with firsthand experience of the impact of macro-economic policy failings that can leave small businesses vulnerable. Wherever possible, we should set the macro-economic conditions for small business success, while simultaneously limiting the amount of government interference evidenced by antiquated labour market laws, bureaucratic red tape and discouraging taxation measures. Whilst for many of us here today our core economic ideology centres on open and free markets, we must always ensure that the policies we pursue do no harm to the fabric of what binds our communities together. Our policies must address the unique problems facing the communities of rural and regional Western Australia, as well as metropolitan Perth. We need to acknowledge the social and economic divide between the city and the bush, and we need to work hard to empower all businesses and industries throughout Western Australia by making it easier for them to succeed and not weighing them down with lengthy and overbearing approvals processes, which unrealistically hold them back from capitalising on fast-flowing and fast-changing markets and trends. At times we will be challenged by conflicting economic philosophy. On the one hand, we may be strong advocates of deregulated city markets, while on the other hand, we may want to support a rural industry in order to provide protection and certainty for rural producers so that they and their local communities can survive. On the one hand, we may want to free up the use of land for industrial purposes and in so doing create improved employment opportunities, while on the other hand, we may want to preserve the use of this land for the protection of natural ecosystems. In many cases there are no definitive rights and wrongs in the application of economic theory, but rather there are very clear consequences, more often than not born out of an assessment of the overarching opportunity costs to society now and into the future. In short, the path to solving these problems is complex. Ladies and gentlemen, I will conclude by saying that in this day and age a parliamentarian cannot be a one- dimensional expert in one field of endeavour or be motivated to use the Parliament as a vehicle to champion one’s own cause. We know this because we know life is more complex. We live in a time when the opportunities for Western Australians are vast; however, we also live in a troubled global community evidenced by failing economies and conflicting ideologies. Some of the problems and challenges that our state will face will be uniquely Western Australian, while other problems will extend across our national and international borders. It is because of this that as Western Australians we must forever be mindful of the need to preserve our enviable

[36] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love standard of living and our uniquely Australian way of life and we must foster in our citizens and communities a desire to support each other through service, volunteerism, mateship and community spirit. As members of this Western Australian Parliament our collective community responsibility requires that we first and foremost must defend Western Australia’s interests while working with others, as part of a team, to find practical solutions to the many and varied challenges that we will face. Mr Speaker and members, I look forward to serving the people of Western Australia with you. Thank you. [Applause.] MS M.J. DAVIES (Central Wheatbelt — Parliamentary Secretary) [8.32 pm]: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and may I congratulate you on your own recent election. I would also like to start by acknowledging the staff here in the chamber and Parliament House who assist us as we acquit our duties in this place. You have been most welcoming and I thank you for your assistance in advance. I also acknowledge my friends and family in the gallery and watching via the web. It is wonderful to have you here this evening. I would like to start by saying a few words about the previous member for Central Wheatbelt, Hon Brendon Grylls, MLA. I find myself in what may be a unique situation; the previous member representing my electorate is still seated in this chamber, now representing the electorate of Pilbara. In his inaugural speech in 2001, having been elected to the Parliament in a by-election to represent the electorate of Merredin, the honourable member made the following comments — As the new member for Merredin, I represent not only the 43 per cent of the electorate who put a one next to my name on polling day; I represent every single person in my electorate, and I will fight for the advancement of every person in this great State. I will represent my most ardent opponents with the same passion as my strongest supporters. There is no doubt that he acquitted that promise with distinction reflected by his return in 2005, 2008 and now 2013 as the member for Pilbara. He went on to say — I thank the National Party and its members for the opportunity to represent this great country party, and I look forward to playing my part in its resurgence. This can be achieved only if we look at new and innovative ways of promoting and running the party, and it will be exciting to play a leading part in its change. The member’s strength of character, leadership and dedication to making our regions the best place to live, work and invest are a matter of public record. As the architect of royalties for regions and the driving force behind a regional development framework for the state he has struck a chord with regional people across the state, and it has been through his leadership that the Nationals WA have returned the greatest number of members to this Parliament since the early 1970s. This has been achieved in the context of changes to our electoral laws through the introduction of one vote, one value and predictions that he would be leading a party of one. Political commentators have been predicting the demise of the National Party, and the Country Party before it, for many years, yet regional Western Australians continue to support the values and aspirations that bind together the party and the customs of this grand old party—she turns 100 this year—and it is a great honour to be a member of the organisation. On a personal note, I thank Brendon for his support and friendship and look forward to taking up the challenge of representing every person in my electorate with the same passion he did. On behalf of the electorate of Central Wheatbelt, we thank him for his service. The people of the Pilbara were right to put their faith in the Nationals and Hon Brendon Grylls, and he will serve them well. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the Nationals and the team that ran our state campaign. What an outstanding result. I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank my campaign team in Central Wheatbelt—a dedicated group with unending patience, dedication and enthusiasm for the task. I could not have asked for a better support network. Thank you for your commitment. To my colleagues who ran on the Agricultural Region ticket—Hon Martin Aldridge, Paul Brown, Jill Sounness, Rosalba Butterworth and Cathie Bowen—thank you for joining us on the journey. We knocked on many doors and met many people. We put ourselves in front of the electorate and asked them to test us, and I am sure it has given me a good grounding to meet the demands of this place. To the many people who volunteered to man the 37 polling booths in Central Wheatbelt, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[37] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

I also wish to place on the public record thanks to my parents Leonie and Dexter and sister Emma for their steadfast support. Mum, who should have been enjoying her first months in retirement, instead pulled on the trainers and walked the streets of the Central Wheatbelt doorknocking in 40 degree heat on some days. It is a credit to you and dad that you have two daughters committed to public service. Both you and your own parents have been the finest role models we could have asked for. In my first address in the other place, I reflected that I had had a privileged upbringing, saying my family gave me the best possible start in life. I did not mean privileged in terms of material goods. It was a safe and loving home surrounded by friends and family with an opportunity to gain a quality education. The path that led me from Wyalkatchem to the state Parliament was formed by the foundations laid by my family, my teachers and the desire to make every moment in life count. I was raised on the family farm where my father’s family were pioneers in the district and are still there today. My mum’s family farm in Darkan and Wagin in the southern wheatbelt, and they are still there today. I owe my determination, ambition and strength to my family and the community I grew up in, surrounded by people with a strong drive to contribute and volunteer their time to make our part of the world a better place to live and work. To complete my schooling, I attended a boarding school in Perth and went on to attain a degree from Murdoch University in marketing and the media. Professionally, I have worked in a number of different fields—as policy adviser to the Leader of the Nationals, as an executive officer to the Chamber of Minerals and Energy in the Pilbara, as a communications and marketing consultant and a member of the Legislative Council. I know that these roles, along with other interests I have pursued, have provided a strong foundation for the four years ahead. I am honoured to stand here as the member for Central Wheatbelt and thank the electorate for their support. I offer my congratulations to Stephen Strange and the Liberal Party and John Watters from the Labor Party for running strong campaigns. There is no doubt that each candidate put their best foot forward and the electorate will be the beneficiary of the hard work that was required to gain their support and trust during the campaign. I give an undertaking to honour this support and trust by continuing to work hard. The Central Wheatbelt encompasses 53 898 square kilometres, starting at the local government boundary of Northam and stretching east to the furthest boundary of the Shire of Merredin. It covers the north east from Mukinbudin to the south eastern point of Hyden and in the north west from Ballidu to the southern point of Brookton. There are 22 local government authorities and many more towns and localities. Each community has a distinctive identity and history. Despite this, there are many more similarities than differences. The region is defined by the people who have chosen to live, work and invest in what I think is a beautiful part of this world. There is a unique social fabric that holds them all together, draws people in in times of crisis, nurtures our youth, honours our elderly, celebrates our history and seeks out a sustainable future. There is tradition laced with innovation and modernism, whether it is cutting edge technologies and science applied in the agricultural sector, new industry or the evolution of our small businesses in a global marketplace. Some families, like mine, have called it a home for over a century. I hope many people choose to make it their home tomorrow and into the future. In these prosperous economic times there is real opportunity for regional Western Australia, particularly the communities in the Central Wheatbelt electorate. With the state’s economy and lifestyle driving significant population increases, the region is ideally placed to play a key role in accommodating and capitalising on this growth. We are close to Perth. There are existing key transport and infrastructure corridors. There is land available and we are blessed with fabulous natural assets. I am probably biased but I think we live in a pretty fantastic part of the world. In addition to growing and retaining our own, our challenge is to attract and retain those people who seek to make Western Australia their new home. I am delighted that the Nationals have been returned to government with the opportunity to deliver another four years of the iconic regional development program royalties for regions. This billion-dollar-a-year investment scheme focuses the government’s attention on the regions. Far from being just a chequebook, it is about how the state prioritises spending and policy in every portfolio across government to the benefit of our regional communities. The existence of royalties for regions demonstrates an ongoing and serious commitment by the state government to the prosperity, growth and sustainability of our regional towns and cities. A billion dollars a year is a significant sum of money. A billion dollars a year leveraged with funding from other sources is even more significant, but then we have significant challenges ahead. There are more people accessing our health system, more children requiring access to education, more cars on our roads and more demand for energy. This rapid and unrelenting growth—not projected, but actual—is a challenge for government now and most certainly into our future. Royalties for regions is certainly not designed to be the panacea for all of these challenges, but in the past four years we have started to tackle some fairly major issues including health, education, housing, communications, child care, tourism and aged care.

[38] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

In the electorate of Central Wheatbelt this has been manifested through a variety of projects and initiatives. The $565 million southern inland health initiative is delivering more doctors and health professionals, upgrading the bricks and mortar infrastructure of hospitals and nursing posts, installing state-of-the-art telehealth technology and support, driving change through primary health initiatives to better manage our population’s health, and planning for our ageing population. There have been upgrades to schools and residential colleges including a state-of-the-art K–12 college in Merredin and a brand-new residential college that is already at capacity. I could not be more excited about the education opportunities this school will offer and provide to families in the eastern wheatbelt. A number of mobile phone towers have gone up through the regional mobile communications project. We take it for granted that our phones will work here in the city but it is the exact opposite in many communities in my electorate—we take it for granted that they do not work! The program is modernising the region and making it safer by ensuring we are connected to our neighbours, to our major centres and to the rest of the world. This has implications for our emergency services, our businesses, our ability to attract visitors and the general inequity of being cut off from the benefits of access to mobile broadband and phone communication. There has been support for our community childcare centres; a vital service and one that has become increasingly difficult to sustain as a result of regulatory changes made by the federal government, with little thought to the implications for regional providers. For many operators in my electorate, the royalties for regions regional childcare grant has meant the difference between remaining open and providing a service, and shutting the doors. A flexible approach to the new regulatory framework is needed or many of the childcare centres in my electorate will be forced to close. This will have a significant impact in each town as parents will be unable to participate in the workforce or access respite. I give an undertaking to work with the volunteers who run these not-for-profit organisations. It is a struggle at times. They are dedicated and passionate about their service and so have my full support. Royalties for regions has also provided funding for tourism strategies such as the Wheatbelt Way and regional events such as the Avon Valley Vintage Festival and the Avon Valley Gourmet Food and Wine Festival, drawing people through the electorate, highlighting our history, natural amenities and our vibrant communities. There has also been investment in aged-care and respite facilities, such as the expansion of the Dryandra facility in Kellerberrin and the Killara Adult Day Care and Respite Centre in Northam. It is very important to look after the people who built our towns, and most important that they can grow old with dignity, surrounded by their family and friends at a time when they need them most. There has also been strategic planning across local government areas. The most recent example was launched in Merredin just last Friday by 11 local government authorities in my electorate that have collaborated on an integrated aged-care solution for the central east wheatbelt. We may have a reputation for being a difficult region to service from a government perspective, but, as these local governments have shown, we have the capacity to collaborate and offer solutions that will benefit the region. There has been investment in community infrastructure such as the Northam, York, Bruce Rock and Kellerberrin recreation centres, and they are most appreciated by everyone who lives in those communities. There is the magnificent Cummins Theatre in Merredin, and many, many more. As we look to the next four years of government and beyond, I see both challenges and opportunities for the electorate of Central Wheatbelt. I will be working hard to ensure the region, and the state, is prepared to capitalise on these opportunities. The Nationals WA took a $300 million agricultural policy to the state election. We believe the next big economic opportunity for the state and nation is to position ourselves as the preferred provider of food and fibre to meet the needs of a rapidly growing China and our Asian neighbours. To achieve this, we will require investment in key infrastructure to ensure we can move product to port in an efficient manner, the identification of new markets, funding for research to ensure we are developing produce that meets the needs of our climatic conditions and our end markets, and the investment in the workforce that we will need to service this industry. It means identifying where we can value-add and attract investment to grow the sector. At the launch of our election campaign in Toodyay earlier in the year, our leader spoke of the changes we have seen in the mining sector since the year 2000. No-one could have anticipated the scale of growth in this sector over the past 10 years. In 2008, 25 per cent of royalties collected by this state government equated to around $375 million. In 2012, it was more than $1 billion. The same customers that purchase our iron ore are modernising their economy; they have a growing middle class with a changing diet and a greater income. With investment and support we can position Western Australia to become a food and fibre provider of choice, but we have to work at it; it will not just happen.

[39] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

In my electorate, agriculture underpins the economy. We export a majority of what is grown—predominantly wheat and other grains, along with animal products. I will be working to ensure we can sustain and adapt to meet these new opportunities. This does not detract from the fact that some businesses within the sector are suffering serious hardship, particularly in the eastern wheatbelt. Conditions have conspired to create the perfect storm— the high Australian dollar, successive poor seasons, the impact of policy decisions in relation to live animal export made by the federal government, and a rapidly changing and ever-evolving global trading environment. I commend the work done by the previous Minister for Agriculture, Hon Terry Redman, to prepare and support the sector towards a sustainable future. I look forward to working with the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture. My electorate depends on the fortunes of our primary producers, and although I am convinced that there is a strong and sustainable future in the agricultural sector, there are challenges in the here and now that this Parliament must remain cognisant of. Over the past four years there has been a strong focus on the built or hard infrastructure through the royalties for regions program. The Nationals put forward a strong culture and the arts policy during the election campaign. I attended the C.Y. O’Connor Institute graduation ceremony last week, and a discussion with one of the board members reaffirmed my belief that the arts can play a powerful role in community development and wellbeing. It was pointed out to me that many of the students at our training institutes engage or re-engage in formal learning through the arts. Funding for the arts and cultural activities pays dividends in social cohesion and education outcomes, and can deliver economic returns. In particular, in the last term of government I was thrilled with the royalties for regions funding initiated in 2012 specifically to assist performing arts companies to tour the regions, especially the development of a wheatbelt touring circuit that showcased local talent alongside respected Australian artists in a number of our pubs in the region. Tourism is another economic driver within the electorate of Central Wheatbelt. Members may be familiar with Wave Rock as a tourist destination; it is certainly a destination for many of our overseas visitors. But for those who have not experienced the beauty of the Avon Valley in a hot air balloon, taken the time to meander along one of our Pioneers’ Pathway self-drive tours or tasted the culinary delights of our primary producers, I encourage you to do so soon. Proximity to Perth and welcoming communities provide a strong foundation for future growth in this area. The small business sector is a significant employer in the electorate and vital to the region’s future prosperity. The challenges most often raised with me by the sector are excessive red tape and a difficulty in successfully tendering for government contracts. Improvements to these areas will have a significant impact on the viability of businesses, and the flow-on effect of job creation is vital if we are to retain our young people in the region. At the risk of sounding clichéd, they are our future, and in my electorate they are a valuable and sometimes rare commodity. One of the most satisfying parts of this job is the opportunity to interact with our young people to encourage them to think about their role in society and to learn from them. I have forged great relationships with people and organisations in my electorate that are dedicated to empowering our young people, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with them over the next four years. Likewise, I look forward to working with those committed to the empowerment of the Aboriginal people who call the region home; it is essential that we all take an active role in closing the gap and achieving better outcomes for our first Australians. That brings me to my final point this evening. We must be prepared to invest in our human and social capital. I hold the view that strategic investment in our human resources has the potential to return the greatest dividend for our region’s future. We need to nurture, grow and support current and new leaders across every sector in the region; small business, agriculture, education, health, service industries, government—all of them. This will allow us to continue to proactively shape a future for the region into one of opportunity compatible with our region’s assets. Investing our in leaders and the capacity of our communities will allow us to take control of our future. In concluding I would like to share with members a quote by George Bernard Shaw that I reflect on often. It hung in my grandparents’ kitchen on the farm in Yorkrakine and captures the work ethic and approach to life that I endeavour to lead — I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. In my electorate, in this house and in my duties as a member of Parliament I look forward to the next four years. [Applause.] MR R.S. LOVE (Moore) [8.52 pm]: Good evening, Mr Acting Speaker and fellow parliamentarians. It is a great honour to stand here tonight as the member for Moore. Firstly, I wish to thank the constituents of the

[40] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Moore electorate for their support, and in due consideration of that I commit to representing them to the best of my ability with both energy and integrity. I thank my family—my wife, Kareen and four children, Callum, Rebecca, Brendan and Kieran, for their unwavering support during the campaign and on election day, and for their ongoing support since. My extended family—my brothers, sisters and father—have also been very supportive and have contributed their time and personal effort, and some of their money, to the campaign. I thank them. Last year my dear mother passed away, and when I heard that the election was scheduled for 9 March, which would have been my parents’ sixty-ninth wedding anniversary, I knew that mum was supporting me also. I want to acknowledge the work of Grant Woodhams, my predecessor, who represented the Moore electorate over the past four years and the electorate of Greenough in the term prior to that. Grant worked hard to represent the electorate on projects such as the $30 million Dongara District High School upgrade, which he was passionate about and which he was able to see to fruition. Grant was universally known as “Woody” throughout the electorate and was terribly well respected and a much-liked figure in the region and this house, where he served as Speaker in the last Parliament. I wish Grant all the very best in his coming years of retirement. I decided to stand for Parliament after being approached by Grant, and I enjoyed his strong support throughout the campaign. Thanks also go to Colin Gardiner, the president of the Moora branch of the National Party, and other local members, especially Jonathan Nelson from Badgingarra who has been a great support to me in the past year. I would also like to thank the rest of the Nationals team; people such as Bryn Butler, Martin Aldridge, Clair Creegan, Jill Sounness, Paul Brown, Cathie Bowen, Rosalba Butterworth, Mia Davies, Jacqui Boydell and Hon Col Holt, to name a few, and everyone else in the party who worked very hard to retain Moore as a Nationals seat. The federal Nationals who assisted in the campaign, Senators Fiona Nash and Barnaby Joyce, and federal leader Warren Truss, helped by not only spending time in the electorate, but also giving me very sound advice from which I learned a great deal. Throughout the electorate there has been strong support for the Nationals. I thank all those who contributed financially or by helping with signage, helping to organise events and publicity, and manning the many polling booths, because without those people there would not have been a campaign. The seat of Moore is the largest non-pastoral electorate in the state and encompasses 17 local governments. It takes in the Shires of Toodyay, Chittering and Gingin in the south and extends to Northampton in the north. It includes the Mullewa ward of the City of Greater Geraldton, while excluding the rest of that city. Moore covers nearly 72 000 square kilometres. Large parts of the former Greenough electorate were incorporated into Moore when Greenough was abolished. Industry in Moore consists mainly of fishing, farming, mining and tourism. They are vitally important industries in this electorate. The western rock lobster industry and other fishing industries have sustained coastal communities for generations. The transition to a full quota management system, although a positive change brought about by the decline in the puerulus count, has had far-reaching consequences for coastal communities with considerable financial impacts. Still coming to terms with the quota system, communities such as Kalbarri in the north of the electorate have been doubly impacted by a downturn in tourism associated with the high Australian dollar, and recreational fishing restrictions. There is a need to re-examine those restrictions to revitalise those communities and restore confidence in the tourism sector. Mixed farming involving grain and livestock production spans the entire electorate. Wheat was first grown in the Carnamah district in 1915 and in Dalwallinu and Three Springs more than 100 years ago. In the Kwinana port zone, the two main bulk grain receiver points in the Shires of Dalwallinu and Moora have in the past received more than 432 000 tonnes of grain in one season, while the vast majority of the 2.5 million tonnes annually produced in the Geraldton zone is produced in the electorate of Moore. These figures serve to illustrate the importance of grain production across the entire electorate from Mullewa and Binnu in the north to Regans Ford in the south and Dalwallinu in the east. Yesterday, along with other members, I attended the crisis meeting attended by around 1 000 farmers in the Merredin area. No doubt a number of our primary producers are facing a difficult time right now and will also face difficulties in the coming year. Although it is true that most of those distressed farmers live in the eastern wheatbelt, at least some of those attendees were from the Moore electorate. I thank the Premier and the current Minister for Agriculture and Food for the interest they have shown in this situation and I look forward to the government’s response in the coming weeks to the farmers’ requests. On the whole I remain very positive about the future of agriculture in the electorate of Moore and in the state of Western Australia. I believe there is a positive way for agriculture and that lies in capitalising on opportunity. That is outlined by the Nationals in our $300 million Vision for Agriculture. That was a cornerstone of the campaign that was run in Moore and in other agricultural electorates.

[41] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Mining has long been present in the Moore electorate. Copper, lead, titanium, ilmenite, zircon, rutile, garnet, hematite, magnetite, talc and oil and gas have all contributed to the wealth of the electorate. The diversity and magnitude of these resources should not be underestimated. Three Springs, for instance, boasts the largest talc resource in Australia. Gindalbie Metals’ Karara mine east of Perenjori, which was opened a week or so ago, is the second-largest magnetite operation in Australia. Tronox’s Western Australian operations, including the mining of mineral sands at Cataby and processing at Muchea, represents the world’s largest integrated titanium dioxide plant. Western Australia’s onshore gas industry has enormous potential. There are known to be large reserves in the midwest region—in fact in the electorate of Moore. These reserves have the potential to be an important energy source for the south west of Western Australia. In considering the future use of these reserves, I believe we need to proceed with caution and in a manner that reflects the community’s concerns around possible environmental consequences associated with the safety of our important water resources such as the northern Yarragadee and Leederville aquifers. We need to recognise the rights of landholders to operate their businesses and allow farmers to fairly negotiate access agreements with the petroleum industry. Community and landholder confidence in the safety and equity of this industry will be essential if it is to develop smoothly in the future. Economic diversity in Moore is further enhanced by an important tourism sector. There are many notable tourism attractions in the Moore electorate. The pristine coastline that forms the southern part of the coral coast, Kalbarri National Park, the Pinnacles and Nambung National Park, Wildflower Way, Australia’s only monastic town, New Norcia, the Gingin Observatory and Gravity Discovery Centre and Dalwallinu’s Discovery Centre are all enjoyed by national and international visitors looking for a bush experience or what they may consider the real Australia, and all found in a setting right on the doorstep of one of the country’s major cities, Perth. In Moore there are beautiful and deserted beaches that give way to heathlands boasting an extremely diverse and unique flora. The opening of Indian Ocean Drive in 2010, during the term of the last government, has seen a dramatic rise in visitor numbers to Cervantes, Jurien Bay and the towns to the north. This scenic road has opened up sections of the coast that were previously inaccessible. The economic spinoffs for these coastal communities are demonstrating themselves to be enormous. The Western Australian government’s move to create a new Department of Parks and Wildlife will be of great benefit to the Moore electorate. Kalbarri, Mt Lesueur, Coalseam and Badgingarra national parks are rich in flora, with many caves and different landforms, and they have enormous potential for environmental tourism. This new department will have an important role in allowing visitors to enjoy these natural assets without causing them harm. Responsible use of land and enjoyment of the environment is very important to the residents of Moore. Many of the citizens of this electorate willingly contribute to the effort of land care by their volunteering. Those volunteers are supported by government and by the presence of entities such as the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council and its partner organisations operating at the local level. Together they provide professional help and an important framework that sources and administers funds for the management of environmental assets throughout the electorate. The economic future of the electorate is highly dependent on the maintenance of its environment and I thank the Western Australian government for its past support of natural resource management and look forward to working with the new Minister for Environment to further this important activity. The historical development of Moore really commenced after the initial pastoral developments with the establishment of the Midland rail line when land was cleared for farming in the nineteenth century. An eight- year project that was completed in 1894, the Midland railway joined Midland Junction to Walkaway, south of Geraldton. While roads were unreliable, this rail line enabled development throughout the district, transporting all grain, fertiliser, general supplies, the post and people. Amid the current debate regarding foreign ownership of land, it is interesting to note that the British-owned Midland Railway Co received 12 000 acres of land for each mile of railway that it built. This early inland development, associated with farming and the railway, makes Moore an electorate of two halves. The coastal communities of Lancelin, Cervantes, Jurien Bay and Kalbarri were in the beginning populated by fishing shacks, and development of the southern coastal communities was initially limited by poor access tracks and the availability of fresh water. These towns were gazetted only in the 1950s and 60s and grew rapidly with development of the crayfish export industry. However, they lacked the legacy of infrastructure, hospitals and high schools et cetera that were established in the inland towns on the Midlands Road. Perth and Geraldton, at either end of the electorate, are where many constituents access a range of services and facilities; for instance, those more specialised medical services. Given the extent of the electorate and the location of these two major centres, there are many different and confusing administrative boundaries associated with the regional development commissions and the provision of policing, education, transport, health and emergency services. The north of the electorate is a major component of the midwest region, while the south lies

[42] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love in the wheatbelt region. Within Moore the population dynamic has changed in recent years, as tree changers have made peri-urban areas such as Toodyay and Chittering their home and sea changers have moved into our coastal towns. Despite the influx of those seeking a change in lifestyle, there has been little provision for their educational, health and aged-care needs, and there are real and serious service gaps. Services in Dongara, Lancelin, Jurien Bay and the like were based on a static population of the 1980s, and these towns are now struggling with increased demand from both resident populations and the influx of visitors. The two major highways traversing the Moore electorate are essentially two main arteries linking Perth with the state’s resources sector. Brand Highway—Highway 1—links Perth with Geraldton and the west Pilbara. Great Northern Highway—Highway 95—is one of the lifebloods of the nation and the principal link between the east Pilbara and the metropolitan area, but it is narrow and the condition of sections of this highway, called the Perth– Darwin highway, is deplorable. Countless oversize loads transporting mining equipment use this highway. Within the townsite of Bindoon, 13 sets of overhanging powerlines have to be temporarily raised with the use of a portable pole to allow the passage of oversize and overheight loads. Bindoon is effectively a town in lockdown during this time. A bypass plan for the town has been developed. Although the plans for the town’s bypass are public knowledge, they have not yet been gazetted and in the meantime are affecting adversely, I am told, property values of the residents. The further improvement of this vital transport link is of great importance to the communities that lie along its path and to the mining industry in the Pilbara. I welcome the future funding commitments for the highway that have been made by the Western Australian Parliament and the government, but we will be urging priority for future funding to be placed from the state and federal governments on this road. My own connection to the electorate dates back to the 1980’s when I bought land in the Shire of Gingin, and later in the Shire of Dandaragan at Badgingarra where my wife and I continue to farm today. A desire to influence the future direction of the local district led me to nominate for and be elected to the council of the Shire of Dandaragan 12 years ago. After an apprenticeship under then shire president Gary Snook—himself a former member for Moore—I served as shire president for the following nine years. My service in local government, coupled with the co-parenting of our four children and caring for ageing relatives, has reinforced my understanding of the importance of some key issues common to regional WA—those being education, health and aged care. According to the 2011 census, 22 per cent of Western Australia’s population reside in the regions outside greater Perth, but we must not overlook the wealth generated in those regions in the agricultural, mining, fishing and tourism sectors. Let us consider the imbalance relating to funding spent on infrastructure, services and facilities beyond the fringes of Perth’s CBD and suburbia that has endured for many decades. Under the inspired leadership of Brendon Grylls, the Nationals’ strong independent advocacy for regional Western Australia and the subsequent introduction of royalties for regions have gone some way to redressing that imbalance. Many community facilities and services, such as the patient assisted travel scheme, hospital upgrades, improved mobile coverage and funding for education and regional residential colleges, have injected new life into regional communities. The devolution of power is one of the core principles that underlines and defines the Nationals’ beliefs, and one that I wholeheartedly support. Allowing those in the regions to contribute to bottom-up decision-making processes is not only respectful but also empowering to local taxpayers and residents. To this end, the country local government fund provides local government with a flexible means of building and maintaining infrastructure. Council and community, with full knowledge of the local and unique circumstances that they confront, can prioritise spending on infrastructure. In recent years this funding has provided, for example, the repair and improvement of a footbridge over the Avon River in Toodyay. Without that expenditure, children in the town would not be able to walk to school, as the local school lies on one side of the river and most of the developed town lies on the other. The redevelopment of the Jurien Bay foreshore and jetty, which enables the town to provide a focal point for visitors and locals alike, was timed to maximise the economic benefit of the opening and development of Indian Ocean Drive. The country local government fund has provided for an early childhood centre in Perenjori, a town that is enjoying a growth spurt since the development of iron ore mining in the area, especially at Karara. It has provided much-needed funds that have allowed maintenance and upgrade work to be carried out on the Mullewa swimming pool, which is a vital resource for that community’s recreation and health. Having walked the streets of Mullewa on a day when the temperature was about 46 degrees, I can personally attest to the value of that investment. Throughout the electorate many other investments and projects have been developed through the country local government fund—projects that, I contend, would be difficult for a state-based agency to identify and develop. One need not look much further than federal Labor’s $47 billion Building the Education Revolution program to see a stirring example of a government program that is top-down driven and that impresses someone else’s ideas upon local communities. In that case, it was school communities. [Member’s time extended.]

[43] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love

Mr R.S. LOVE: The challenge of providing an adequate standard of education, health and aged care for those Western Australians living beyond the northern, southern and eastern fringes of Perth is enormous. Population density in Moore is relatively low and is dispersed over many small communities. In the south of the electorate many people live in rural subdivisions and in small holdings that lie just outside the Perth metropolitan area. With the exception of Moora, the larger communities in the electorate, such as Dongara, Kalbarri and Jurien Bay, have poorly developed services sectors. To some extent, this has been addressed in recent years with such things as the redevelopment of Dongara District High School and the planned developments in Jurien Bay, but much remains to be done. The need to provide adequate education, health and aged care to the citizens of Moore is the principal reason I stood for Parliament in the first place. I intend to do all I can to ensure that these services are improved for my constituents. Maintaining and improving standards of education in rural and remote Western Australia presents a huge challenge for this government. A dispersed population base and poor teacher recruitment and retention rates add to the challenge of making appropriate education accessible to all. One of the contentious issues at the moment, as many of you will know, is the change to the year 7 structure throughout country Western Australia. Moving year 7 students to high school, which is in line with the adoption of the Australian Curriculum, is a big step for rural communities that are already scratching to find a junior hockey, football or netball team. My wife and I have experienced firsthand the emotional wrench of sending a 12-year- old kid off to boarding school. In 2015 country parents will lose their 11-year-olds. I understand that the government is prepared to work with communities and families to ensure that this transition, which ultimately will improve the education of our children, is as smooth as possible. I thank the Western Australian government and the Minister for Education for their consideration and understanding of this sensitive issue. Public senior high school options in the electorate are limited to Central Midlands Senior High School at Moora and Morawa Agriculture College, which leaves parents and students with few options other than boarding in Perth and Geraldton. Nagle Catholic College in Geraldton recently announced that it will close its doors to boarders after 2015. This will remove one of the more affordable private boarding school options currently available to my constituents. An alternative boarding facility exists at Geraldton Residential College. The current and planned capacity of the residential college is, however, quite limited and unless it is able to expand its facilities, these students from the north of the electorate will have to make the long trek to Perth to a boarding school, a move which may incur considerable extra cost for their families. I pledge to work towards supporting Geraldton Residential College in being able to ensure its students can remain in the midwest region. In my view, there is a need to investigate the use of technologies to provide innovative solutions and boost facilities at the many district high schools in the electorate to help make up for the shortfalls in rural and remote education. Distance education, though, needs to be engaging and relevant. We do not want to see a scenario in which small groups of rural students are offered subjects via distance education with inadequate supervision or stimulation. The community at Jurien Bay, with the support of the Western Australian government through royalties for regions, is currently developing a new civic centre that will house a purpose-built information technology communications centre. Through a formal partnership, the local high school will be able to access the best technology available, supporting its delivery of distance education programs. Such programs give rural youth access to quality educators anywhere in the nation and perhaps in the world. The quality of available education is a major consideration to families with children. In order to attract professional persons to a town, and in turn allowing the town to achieve its full growth potential, parents want to be sure that their children will not be disadvantaged by the standard of education on offer. If parents can be so assured, then the growth of communities such as Jurien Bay will be accelerated, assisting the state to prepare for our expected and continuing population growth. The difficulty of recruiting and keeping general practitioners in country districts has been well documented. Often on call 24/7, country doctors working in isolation run the risk of burnout. Supporting them with other GPs and a good network of allied health professionals is essential in the delivery of community health programs and preventive health. The Southern Inland Health Initiative, funded by royalties for regions, is supporting the communities in Moore to recruit both doctors and essential allied health staff. This initiative is encouraging the introduction of innovative service delivery to the region through programs such as telehealth. Rural and remote health services stand to gain a great deal from the use of telehealth whereby country patients are able to access specialist advice via video consultation. Telehealth services have been made available with specialists, consultant physicians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, midwives, practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers ready to assist the on-ground staff, thereby greatly increasing the level of care to those presenting to the many health centres dispersed across the electorate. Within the communities of the electorate, a number of different organisations provide services to patients requiring mental health services. Over the past few months I have had many conversations with residents who were either unaware of the services on offer or told me of the difficulties their family members had experienced in gaining access to those services—sometimes with tragic consequences. While there are a range of private and

[44] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 16 April 2013] p37b-80a Mr Nathan Morton; Ms Lisa Baker; Mr Fran Logan; Ms Margaret Quirk; Mr Matt Taylor; Ms Eleni Evangel; Mr Chris Hatton; Dr Graham Jacobs; Mr Dean Nalder; Mr Sean L'Estrange; Ms Mia Davies; Mr Shane Love public agencies operating in the electorate, greater coordination of available services and integration of services would lead to better outcomes. The patient assisted travel scheme, which has received a funding boost through royalties for regions, has provided invaluable support to country persons who have to travel to access specialist medical services in major centres. The qualifying criteria for this assistance is set at a level that rules out many of the residents of Moore— people who often live just a few kilometres too close to Perth to be eligible. These residents are living in communities without any regular public transport links to Perth and are therefore greatly disadvantaged. I will be seeking recognition for their needs in future funding. The lack of aged care in the electorate is very serious; the lack is probably greater in Moore than is the case in any other electorate. Facilities are provided at the Northampton and Dalwallinu hospitals, in Mullewa and at the Moora lodge, but they are grossly inadequate for an electorate with a population the size of Moore. Towns such as Dongara, Kalbarri and Jurien Bay present as an attractive option to retirees, but they are severely lacking when it comes to aged-care services. Jurien Bay has taken the positive step of working towards becoming an age-friendly centre. A recent study found that 21 per cent of Jurien Bay residents were over the age of 65 years, compared with the state average of around 12 per cent. The same study noted that there were few residents over the age of 80, suggesting that while retirees are attracted to a town such as Jurien Bay, they must in the longer term leave as their needs increase and their health fails. The situation is quite similar in other communities such as Dongara and Kalbarri. The Moora Frail Aged Lodge located adjacent to the Moora District Hospital provides a fine example of the benefits of having elderly citizens remain in the community and maintaining family connections. The young can appreciate the value of the elderly and the elderly can continue with community activities and maintain their networks. I am happy to say that recent funding from royalties for regions under the action agenda funding scheme and the country local government fund will enable the Moora Frail Aged Lodge to expand. There is, however, very little secure dementia care in the region and whilst it is difficult to make provisions for that care, it certainly warrants consideration in our larger centres. The Wheatbelt Development Commission in conjunction with local communities will be developing strategies to provide a more appropriate level of aged care in the wheatbelt region and this will benefit the southern part of the electorate. I will be seeking to extend the lessons learnt by that strategy to benefit the entire electorate of Moore. Mr Acting Speaker, the royalties for regions program has provided much-needed funds for regional infrastructure and services. It has helped to address the imbalance between country and city, be it the Fuel Card that assists pensioners with the cost of country travel, the upgrade of country sporting facilities, boarding allowance to assist those who by dint of their geographic isolation have no choice but to send their children to boarding school, newer upgraded medical facilities, housing to attract medical and other professionals or the upgrade of telecommunications. Further investment in technology will serve the vital purpose of enabling those in the electorate to access health and education services regardless of their location. In closing, the experience of traversing the electorate of Moore over the past year and speaking to so many constituents has left me with an overriding view that the issues I have spoken of tonight are of the utmost importance to many residents throughout the electorate. Perhaps the most indelible impression of the election campaign has been made by my interaction with the Aboriginal community at Mullewa. The recollection of walking past many empty brick houses owned by the state of Western Australia in the town where families are crowded into 50-year-old asbestos-ridden hovels surely needs some investigation. The most touching of conversations I had whilst doorknocking was in Mullewa; it was an exchange with a very articulate and intelligent young Aboriginal woman with a baby in her arms, just a teenager herself I am sure. She was despairing about the life that lay ahead for her girls. She wanted to know what I could do to make a better future for her daughters and to ensure their future safety. I have to report that I walked away that day thinking that probably I would not be able to do much for those concerns. I do not want to feel that way at the conclusion of the next four years. Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker, for listening to me. [Applause.] Debate adjourned, on motion by Mr J.H.D. Day (Leader of the House). House adjourned at 9.24 pm ______

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